Maintaining proper hydration balance and preventing dehydration during exercise is key to ensuring that our performance is not drastically reduced as the minutes of practice go by.

The loss of water and fluids during exercise has a negative influence on both performance and the physical integrity of the athlete, which highlights the importance of replacing lost fluids, thus avoiding sports dehydration, to then proceed with rehydration.

In this article, we want to provide some general recommendations on fluid intake to stay well hydrated:

1.- Follow a balanced diet

Individuals should consume a balanced diet and drink adequate fluids during the 24 hours before an event, particularly during the period including the meal before exercise, to promote proper hydration before exercise or competition.

2.- Drink plenty of fluids

Athletes should drink approximately 500 ml of fluid about 2 hours before exercise to avoid sports dehydration and allow time for the excretion of excess ingested water.

3.- Maintain hydration during exercise

Athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in order to consume fluids at a rate that allows them to replace all the water lost through sweating or consume the maximum tolerable amount.

4.- Pay attention to the drink's temperature

It is recommended that the temperature of the ingested fluids be lower than room temperature, between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius, and that they be flavored to increase palatability and promote fluid replacement.

5.- Enhance hydration

For events lasting longer than 1 hour, it is recommended to add appropriate amounts of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes to rehydrating solutions, as these could improve performance.

For events shorter than 1 hour, there is no scientific evidence to show an improvement in physiological or physical performance whether pure water or water containing carbohydrates and/or electrolytes is consumed.

Effects of hyperthermia and dehydration

Water loss leads to a situation of water deficit, known as dehydration, which implies a significant reduction in work capacity, fatigue resistance, maximum power, reaction speed, and coordination.

Although dehydration affects different processes, those most altered are related to cardiovascular system dynamics and the maintenance of body temperature.

Therefore, heat-induced pathologies can seriously affect athletic performance and the individual's health.

Symptoms of Sports Dehydration

The combination of internal heat stress and the inability to dissipate generated heat can cause:

– Heat cramps:

These can be due to an excessive loss of sodium, potassium, or magnesium caused by abundant sweating.

It is the least severe and is treated with the administration of electrolyte-containing fluids.

– Heat syncope:

This is caused by the cardiovascular system's inability to adequately meet the body's needs. During exercise in a hot environment, muscles and skin compete for the largest amount of blood. Syncope occurs when these simultaneous demands are not met.

Symptoms include: extreme fatigue, gasping, dizziness, vomiting, fainting, cold and clammy or hot and dry skin, hypotension, and

weak and rapid pulse.

Treatment requires rest in a cool environment, with elevated feet to prevent shock, ingestion of salt water or its intravenous administration.

– Heat stroke:

This heat injury endangers the athlete's life as it can progress to coma and death. It is characterized by:

Treatment requires rapidly cooling the body with a cold water bath, ice, or cold wet towels.

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