Make Water The Main Beverage
Hydration is essential for any high functioning athlete. Decrease in performance occurs when the body is even two percent dehydrated . Approximately three to four liters of water is expelled every day at rest through breathing, sweating and waste. In addition, approximately two liters of hydration is dissipated in every hour of high intensity activity. Replenishing these losses can be the difference between winning and losing.
Water should be consumed with and between every meal and, unless containing protein or pure vegetable juice, should be the only beverage consumed. Soda, fruit juice and most sport drinks contain very high levels of sugar that will disrupt metabolism and can lead to unwanted body composition. The goal for our players is to consume half of their body weight, in ounces, of water every day. Some habits to ensure this happens include drinking water with every feeding and to having a measured schedule throughout the day.
Optimizing our athlete’s nutrition involves providing the correct amount of the best foods at the right time. We feel that what the players eat is as important as any training they perform. A more effective method of improving nutrition is by developing healthy eating habits as opposed to following numbered recommendations. The most of these daily behaviors for athletes are to eat often with post-exercise the most important feeding opportunity, include complete protein and vegetables with every meal and drink a large volume of water.