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Sports Nutrition And Athletic Health
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Published: October 30, 2006
Sports nutrition holds a key for any athlete looking to gain a winning edge. Combining a nutritious diet with wise water and electrolyte consumption allows an athlete’s body to create and store the energy fueling top performance.
Preparation is necessary in order to perform optimally. Sports nutrition starts at home, long before the first pitch, first whistle or first play.
Hydration is one of the most important parts of sports nutrition. For years, athletes have been told that drinking water will protect them against dehydration and the crippling effects of rising core temperatures and heat stroke. As recommended by most doctors, drinking water beyond thirst became a common trait for athletes and non-athletes alike.
However, new studies suggest drinking too much water can be a potentially fatal mistake. Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, is a serious condition mainly affecting athletes in prolonged exercise. When athletes sweat during exercise, their bodies lose sodium chloride (salt) as well as fluids. Certain cellular functions necessitate salt, so during prolonged exercise, it is just as important to replenish lost levels of salts and other electrolytes.
Drinking too much water during periods of heavy exercise will dilute the already dwindling concentration of salt in an athlete’s system and lead to symptoms common to heat-related illnesses: nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, respiratory distress, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, coma and seizures.
To prevent water intoxication, electrolytes (salt ions used by cells to maintain functionality) are an indispensable part of sports nutrition. Sport drinks, such as Gatorade, promise to replenish the two electrolytes most commonly lost in rigorous exercise: sodium and potassium, as well as sugars and other nutrients. Sport drinks re-hydrate athletes in ways water simply cannot.
Sports drinks have become so wildly popular that the intention behind them can be lost. People of all ages reach for the ubiquitous bottle of Gatorade in the fridge, ready to take a swig at any given moment. Gatorade has become so synonymous with hydration and peak performance that even health-conscious non-athletes – the fasting growing segment of the sports drink market – believe it can increase their well-being.
Sports drinks were designed for athletes who need an immediate boost. To the non-athlete or weekend jock, sport drinks represent unneeded calories, sugar and sodium. For example, one 8oz. serving of Gatorade contains 50 calories. Before taking a drink, people should do the math to see if sports drinks make sense for their individual exercise regiment. As a general rule, sports drinks only become helpful when workouts exceed an hour in duration.
Preparation and proper hydration are essential for sports nutrition. Thirst is no real indicator for hydration, either; research shows body weight drops and performance suffers before thirst becomes an issue.
Drinking smartly both prior to and during a workout is a carefully calculated procedure. For a good way to tell if you are properly hydrated, check the color of your urine – a well-hydrated athlete will have a large quantity of clear urine.
Sources:
Sports Nutrition. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. September 2001. 24 October 2006. <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm? Thread_ID=309.>
Noakes, Tim. The latest findings on fluid intake: too much may be dangerous. 24 October 2006. <http://www.health24.com/fitness/Diet_Supplemen ts/16-481-2300,26979.asp.>
What are electrolytes? HowStuffWorks.com. 25 October 2006.
<http://health.howstuffworks.com/question565. htm.>
Halliday, Jess. Drinks drive performance market, report. 26 January 2006. NutraIngredients.com. 25 October 2006. <http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n= 65393-leatherhead-energy-drinks-performance.>
Preparation is necessary in order to perform optimally. Sports nutrition starts at home, long before the first pitch, first whistle or first play.
Related Articles
Hydration is one of the most important parts of sports nutrition. For years, athletes have been told that drinking water will protect them against dehydration and the crippling effects of rising core temperatures and heat stroke. As recommended by most doctors, drinking water beyond thirst became a common trait for athletes and non-athletes alike.
However, new studies suggest drinking too much water can be a potentially fatal mistake. Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, is a serious condition mainly affecting athletes in prolonged exercise. When athletes sweat during exercise, their bodies lose sodium chloride (salt) as well as fluids. Certain cellular functions necessitate salt, so during prolonged exercise, it is just as important to replenish lost levels of salts and other electrolytes.
Drinking too much water during periods of heavy exercise will dilute the already dwindling concentration of salt in an athlete’s system and lead to symptoms common to heat-related illnesses: nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, respiratory distress, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, coma and seizures.
To prevent water intoxication, electrolytes (salt ions used by cells to maintain functionality) are an indispensable part of sports nutrition. Sport drinks, such as Gatorade, promise to replenish the two electrolytes most commonly lost in rigorous exercise: sodium and potassium, as well as sugars and other nutrients. Sport drinks re-hydrate athletes in ways water simply cannot.
Sports drinks have become so wildly popular that the intention behind them can be lost. People of all ages reach for the ubiquitous bottle of Gatorade in the fridge, ready to take a swig at any given moment. Gatorade has become so synonymous with hydration and peak performance that even health-conscious non-athletes – the fasting growing segment of the sports drink market – believe it can increase their well-being.
Sports drinks were designed for athletes who need an immediate boost. To the non-athlete or weekend jock, sport drinks represent unneeded calories, sugar and sodium. For example, one 8oz. serving of Gatorade contains 50 calories. Before taking a drink, people should do the math to see if sports drinks make sense for their individual exercise regiment. As a general rule, sports drinks only become helpful when workouts exceed an hour in duration.
Preparation and proper hydration are essential for sports nutrition. Thirst is no real indicator for hydration, either; research shows body weight drops and performance suffers before thirst becomes an issue.
Drinking smartly both prior to and during a workout is a carefully calculated procedure. For a good way to tell if you are properly hydrated, check the color of your urine – a well-hydrated athlete will have a large quantity of clear urine.
Sources:
Sports Nutrition. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. September 2001. 24 October 2006. <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm? Thread_ID=309.>
Noakes, Tim. The latest findings on fluid intake: too much may be dangerous. 24 October 2006. <http://www.health24.com/fitness/Diet_Supplemen ts/16-481-2300,26979.asp.>
What are electrolytes? HowStuffWorks.com. 25 October 2006.
<http://health.howstuffworks.com/question565. htm.>
Halliday, Jess. Drinks drive performance market, report. 26 January 2006. NutraIngredients.com. 25 October 2006. <http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n= 65393-leatherhead-energy-drinks-performance.>
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