We all know that practice makes better, we all invest in good equipment and we all over analyse our game.How many of us know how to keep our body hydrated and energized? Here are some tips on how to drink, what to drink, when and how much to keep you on the top of your game.

Before drinking just anything, a player should ask three simple questions:

When should I drink?
How much should I drink?
What should I drink?

 Intake of fluids before playing:Start consuming liquids low on sugars and with no added minerals about 60 minutes before you start playing. The last intake of fluids should be 20 min before starting to play. We never drink sodas, milk or carbonated water.The drink temperature should be 16°C if the air temperature is 20°C. (that is 60°F and 68°F respectively)

 Fluids intake during play:During a long play, the body needs to intake 50-200 ml of fluids 20-30 minutes after the beginning of play. After that, you need to intake some fluids every 15-20 minutes but not more than 800 ml/hour, as the human body cannot digest it.The drinks shouldn’t contain more than 2.5% glucose and should be slightly sour. Adding a dissolving Vitamin C into the liquid is preferable. In case of exhaustion and in case of a long effort we can increase the glucose %.

 Fluids intake after playing:After playing the goal is to hydrate the body and help speed up the strength recovery process. So there is a need to cover the fluids lost during play by sweating and not just satisfy our thirst.The best way to determine the actual fluid loss is to weight the player before and after playing. Another good indicator is the color of the player’s urine. The less fluids a player has in his body the darker the color of his urine.

  WHAT TO DRINK

 1.    Intake of fluids after intense playing for up to 60 min: In this case we don’t have a big loss in minerals so it’s sufficient to intake fluids with small amount of sugars and salt.

 2.    Intake of fluids after playing for more than 60 min: In this case we need to cover not only the fluids lost but also the minerals and sugars. That’s why we need to consume liquids that contain sugars. Preferably a simple tea, a syrup drink dissolved in water 1:1 ratio and fruit juices.

 3.    Intake of fluids during the day when not playing, to recover strength and keep body hydrated: During this time we can consume any type of liquids freely. We can drink both mineral water and water containing chlorocarbons and carbohydrates. The two kinds are good to be consumed in alteration. It’s also good to consume tea and good quality diary drinks.

BASIC RULES OF FLUID INTAKE

 1.We never experiment with our own recipes as that could result in diminishing our playing capabilities or even put our health at risk.

2.It’s necessary to drink the same liquids during a game as we drink during practice.