![]() In extreme cases this can lead into a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. Essentially, what happens if you drink too much is that you begin to dilute this critical level of sodium in the blood, potentially arriving at the start line depleted of electrolytes. The main electrolyte found in extracellular fluid is sodium, which needs to be held at a concentration of around 135-145mmol/l in your bloodstream for everything to function optimally in the body. Electrolytes are crucial for performing a host of bodily functions including cellular communication, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction so their relative concentrations have to be regulated very tightly to allow them to do their jobs properly. Most of the issues over-drinking creates are related to the fact that body fluids are not just water but are in fact, a very salty mixture containing electrolytes. If athletes do challenge their bodies by drinking vastly more than it requires, (probably thinking it is a good ‘insurance policy’ again dehydration) they can end up causing real problems in other areas. Whilst it is probably sensible to take in an extra cup of fluid here and there in the final days to make up for any slight level of lingering dehydration, overall there is no great benefit to drinking way more than you normally would. If over time you can learn to read your body’s signals accurately you are highly unlikely to arrive on the start line significantly dehydrated by following this approach. Therefore, what this really means for the days running up to competition is that as long as you aren’t massively dehydrated to begin with or sweating excessively at this time all you need to do in terms of figuring out how much to drink is to listen to your body and drink to the dictates of thirst. This all works incredibly well in the context of the normal range of inputs and outputs. Your body does an amazing job of maintaining optimal fluid balance by shifting fluid around internally, by peeing out any excess and by making you thirsty so you drink when you need to take more in. However, since you are a living, breathing, peeing, sweating, drinking, metabolically active human being your exact hydration status is in constant flux. Of the extracellular fluid, roughly 20 percent (around 5 liters in an average adult) is in your blood. Nearly two thirds of it is found inside your cells (intracellular fluid) and the remaining third is outside the cells (extracellular and interstitial fluid). ![]() Your body is roughly 65 percent water and this is held in two main compartments. Having a better understanding of why this is and some of the more subtle factors involved might just help you to figure out a more appropriate hydration strategy that works for you and gets you to the start line in good shape. ![]() The reality is that pre-competition hydration is actually a bit of a balancing act and definitely not just a battle to get as much water in as you can. Simply drinking more and more fluid pre race won’t solve any of those issues in fact it could make them worse. Those who struggle with cramps or headaches for example have more of a tendency to overcompensate, as they are conscious they must not become ‘dehydrated’. Ironically, this is most often the case with athletes who tend to suffer with hydration related issues during races. ![]() This is perceived to be a smart idea, with the frequent deposits of clear urine serving to reinforce the belief that they are doing a good thing. ![]() Many athletes believe peeing a lot is a good thing because we’ve been told time and time again that producing clear urine in large quantities is a sign of ‘good hydration’ and therefore something to strive for.Īs a result of this and despite having to make more and more regular trips to the bathroom, many athletes forge ahead in the lead up to races drinking increased quantities. To state the obvious, this is why when you start drinking a lot sooner or later you start peeing at least some of it back out. Human beings are not camels- we cannot store up vast quantities of fluid for use later on, rather once we are fully hydrated the body has to ditch any excess. However, dehydration should not be the only concern as there is a bigger picture to consider when optimizing pre-competition hydration. This is understandable since dehydration has been proven to negatively affect performance and sweat rates can easily exceed the body’s ability to absorb fluid so starting an event ‘topped up’ makes logical sense. For many athletes, pre-competition hydration routines tend to be oriented around one main goal, avoiding dehydration. ![]()
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