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Those of you with whom I have had the privilege of working with, know that I rarely give a black or white, good or bad answer usually a shade of grey or ''it depends''. There are good reasons for this. I hope my answers help you through the maze of grey. Let me know either way. The answers provided are general and should not replace individual advice offered by an accredited sports dietitian or a BASES recognised nutritionist. |
Firstly only the laws of physics are black and white, the rest of science is a shade of grey which requires a weight of scientific evidence to support or reject the idea: Secondly, your lifestyle, your health, your sport, your training regime are all unique to YOU. The old saying, "one man's meat is another man's poison" really does hold true. A good illustration of this is seen in the FAQ on how to lose weight. |
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Fluid of cause, but when it comes to what type of fluid (water, hypotonic, isotonic or hypertonic drinks) the answer gets grey i.e. it depends! Read the background information and then use the flow chart to help you come to the decision that is right for YOU. Also take note on looking after your teeth. |
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Background information - Why drink anything?
Running low on muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) and problems with fluid balance. You sweat to get rid of heat produced in your body during exercise. The harder you work, the warmer the weather or the hotter the gym, the more heat and sweat your body will produce. If you fail to get rid of this heat by sweating, the results are potentially disastrous. Sweat is mostly water and some sodium chloride (salt) and some potassium (a mineral). When you sweat, it is mostly water you lose not salt. It is water therefore that must be replaced, and as quickly as possible, with minimal stomach upset. |
Scientists have found that the quickest way for water to get back into the blood is in the form of a dilute sugar (glucose) and salt solution, hence the trend in isotonic sports drinks. Losing too much water can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is bad news for most sporting events. Even mild dehydration will prevent you achieving optimum performance- a loss of just 2% of original bodyweight due to sweating has been shown to represent a 20% drop in performance. If an athlete becomes significantly dehydrated during exercise, they will find rehydration difficult often with stomach or gastrointestinal problems. This is because when dehydrated, fluids do not empty easily from the stomach. The athlete who complains that drinking during exercise causes stomach upsets is the athlete who is already suffering the effects of dehydration. |
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