Drinking a strong electrolyte drink before longer swims can significantly improve your performance by boosting your blood plasma volume. This'll give you a much bigger reserve of fluids and electrolytes to draw upon once you start sweating.

If you want to test whether preloading improves your performance, follow this protocol before your next long swim session or B-race. Don't just drink tons of water in the build-up to a swim. You'll just end up peeing most of it out and, if you're not careful, you can even end up diluting your blood sodium levels, increasing the risk of a swim-ruining condition called hyponatremia.

Ideally, drink a strong electrolyte drink like PH , which has 3x more sodium than typical sports drinks the night before events lasting more than about 90 minutes- 2 hours. Drink another strong electrolyte drink about 90 mins before you get into the water. Once you begin sweating you're generally going to be fighting a losing battle against fluid and electrolyte loss, which is why starting off properly hydrated can be extremely beneficial.

When you're properly hydrated you have a larger reservoir of fluid to draw from over time than if you're dehydrated. Starting well hydrated has other benefits too.

Optimal hydration maximises your blood volume and this helps general cardiovascular function and your ability to dissipate the heat produced by your working muscles.

This reduces fatigue and enables you to maintain your performance for longer. In amongst the data there were strong indications that this was very likely to be compromising their performance. Who in their right mind would want to start exercising hard in a dehydrated state if they're trying to perform at their best?

This study certainly backs up previous work I've read on the subject and the kind of things we've seen over many years working with athletes in different scenarios. It's certainly not uncommon to see people only really thinking about hydration once they turn up to a session rather than preparing in advance.

That's just life. This blog addresses how to optimise your recovery by hydrating properly. Région de Québec Québec CNQ [email protected] Masters C. Régional de Beauce Québec CNRB [email protected] Masters C.

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The best way to avoid cramping, dizziness, headaches, and sluggishness associated with dehydration is to properly hydrate before jumping into the pool.

Starting the day only mildly hydrated can cause hydration much quicker than being moderately hydrated. Newborns and infants cannot regulate body temperature so they can get very easily overheated. They receive all the hydration they need from breast milk, even in hot weather.

Drinking water actually places them at a risk for water intoxication over-dilution of the blood stream. For infants older than six months, you can supplement with a little water about ounces per day until they are eating solid foods, at which point you can increase the amount.

For playing in the pool, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends school-aged children drink fluid ounces of water every 20 minutes. For adolescents, the AAP recommends fluid ounces. Many children are naturally drawn to sugary drinks rather than just plain water.

To encourage them to stay hydrated and avoid unhealthy, sugary options, try naturally sweetening it with lemon, citrus fruit, or a piece of frozen fruit! Water-packed fruit such as watermelon, peaches, and grapes not only provide water, but other healthy nutrients.

For shorter events like this you will perform best — and probably have a more enjoyable swim — if you arrive on the start line properly hydrated and fuelled.

Also moderately increase your carbohydrate intake on the day before your swim. The additional sodium helps pull water into your blood stream. In most circumstances, you will not need to eat or drink anything during events of up to one hour.

The basic principle of arriving fuelled and hydrated at the start of you swim is the same whatever the distance. For swims of between one and two hours, you may find pre-loading as described above useful, especially towards the latter end of the swim.

We normally consider 90 minutes of high intensity exercise to be the approximate point when your muscles run low on glycogen. You can easily pack a gel inside your costume or sleeve of your wetsuit. It takes about 15 minutes for the carbohydrates to reach your muscles, so factor this in and maybe take the gel after about an hour of swimming.

Swimming presents different challenges to nutrition and hydration than land-based sports, such as running and cycling. With the latter, you can eat or drink with barely any impact on your speed. With swimming, you need to stop.

This could cost you places in a race and while your overall time might not be important on a long solo swim, you may get cold or carried by the currents if you stop for too long.

This is plausible, and sea water is something like 10 times as concentrated as even the strongest electrolyte drink. As mentioned above, due to practical considerations when swimming, I would ensure I started the event properly hydrated and then focus primarily on nutrition rather than hydration anyway.

Test what works best for you. I prefer the lighter, less-sticky options for sea swimming. On land, we use the rough rule of thumb that you need about ml of fluid per hour. Obviously, this varies between individuals and with conditions. You might, for example, double this if training or racing in the heat.

Help, a cramp! Tips and remedies to deal with it. Lose weight…with water! Take a look at our water bottles collection. A top-class swimmer who still competes, he has taken part in and reached the finals of Italian championships, as well as winning lots of regional titles.

A FIN swimming instructor and trainer, FIT fitness trainer for tennis, and a graduate in the Motor Sciences from Milan State University, he has been working all these fields since the beginning of Written by: Manuele Trezzi at 17 March '21 0. You are reading: The importance of hydration for swimmers.

Hydration for swimmers is perhaps one of the most underestimated aspects. Find out what, how much and when it is important for a swimmer to drink! Inadequate levels of hydration for swimmers: what kind of problems are we talking about?

All this can be avoided in two ways Firstly, just keep hydrated throughout the day Secondly, always have at least a half-litre or, better still, one-litre water bottle with you at the poolside. What should be in the bottle? Rather than recommend any specific brand, my advice is to learn how to read the label and make sure that your drink: Tastes good obviously this is a subjective matter.

Is easy to digest. Easily digestible Contains no artificial colourants. A pinch of salt. Finally, here is something to bear in mind to avoid any problems Never wait until you are thirsty to take a drink.

Drink a small amount frequently rather than a lot occasionally! Articles you may also like Help, a cramp! Tips and remedies to deal with it Lose weight…with water!