Hydration

Proper hydration is critical to athletic performance. Proper hydration starts well before an athletic practice or contest. Most athletes should consume 16-20 ounces of water or a sports drink 2-3 hours before the athletic activity. Begin the activity in a well-hydrated state and maintain hydration throughout by consuming approximately 8 ounces for every fifteen minutes of activity. Additionally, post exercise you should consume 16-20 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight that you lost.

Staying well hydrated will maximize performance, improve your ability to recover quickly from training and competition, and minimize injury and muscle cramping. Signs of dehydration include: headache, dizziness, nausea, feeling lightheaded and muscle cramping.

A few tips:

• Weigh yourself: If you have lost any weight from before an athletic event to when it ends, that weight is almost entirely from fluid loss. You will not lose lean muscle mass or body fat in one workout/practice/game. Therefore it's important to consume 16-20 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight that you lost.
• Check your urine: The color of your urine can tell you a lot about your hydration level. Urine that is clear to pale-yellow (lemonade color) is indicative of being properly hydrated. Urine that is dark is indicative of being dehydrated.
• Avoid energy drinks, soft drinks and other drinks with caffeine. Not only will these adversely affect your hydration status, they may cause other systemic issues with your body and negatively affect your performance.