Hydration

Hydration

by Oli Tweddell (Australian Finn sailor and ex. Optimist sailor)

Most people know that you need to keep hydrated before, during and after sailing, and most people just drink water.

However, water isn’t the best form of hydrating yourself.  Most top athletes use sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade to replenish their electrolytes (The bodies vitamins and minerals).  These sports drinks can tend to be quite expensive and not too great for your teeth, a great alternative is to use a drinks bottle filled with your choice of cordial and then add a pinch of salt.  This essentially becomes a cheap but effective sports drink.

There is no real recommended amount of liquid you should drink a day, but for me a general rule of thumb is that you should constantly sip from your drinks bottle every 15-20 mins to make sure you have a steady intake of fluids.

If you feel your throat is getting a bit dry then the chances are you are already dehydrated and need to take action as soon as possible to replenish you bodily fluids.

I would advise that you always carry a drinks bottle around the boat park so you can always have a drink if you need to.

I will leave you with quite a serious fact;  “If you are dehydrated you will only be able to perform to 70% of your best”