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Water: The Athlete’s Most Important Nutrient

Don’t Rely on Thirst
You might be thinking what's the big deal? Won’t drinking when I’m thirsty guarantee that I’m hydrated?” Surprisingly, no. During exercise, for reasons not totally understood, humans don’t drink enough to prevent dehydration. You need to drink before you’re thirsty and keep drinking after you no longer feel thirsty.

Drink It In
Forget about the old rule of drinking 8 glasses per day. You probably need more than that on most days. Counting how many glasses you drink is only one way of keeping track of what you need.

A better way of making sure you’re hydrated is to check your body weight before and after practice. For accuracy, in minimal clothing if there’s privacy, and afterwards, change out of the sweaty clothing before you weigh. The weight lost during practice or competition is not fat, it’s water loss.

One pint of water weighs one pound. To replace the water, drink one pint of fluid for every pound you lost. (One pint 16 ounces = 500 ml = 1/2 litre. It is critical to replace the water loss as quickly as possible.