“Don’t forget to hydrate!”
You know you’re supposed to, but what does hydration for baseball mean to you as an athlete?
Let’s start by talking about water. Your body is about 60% water!
It is an even higher percentage for infants. In your body, water regulates most important functions including transport of substance, dissolving substances, catalyzes chemical reactions, lubricating tissues, body temperature regulation, and providing our body with much needed minerals.
With this extensive list, you can see that water is critical – especially if you live in a hot place.
The body needs about 3 liters of water a day. Typically, about 1 liter comes from the food we eat. That leaves about 2 liters for you to be drinking. The demand increases when you are exercising, in hot/dry climates, or in higher altitudes.
More than likely if you are reading this, you need to drink more water.
Further hydration for baseball and softball
Fluid balance isn’t always just drinking more water.
When you sweat, you also lose salts (mainly sodium and potassium).
It is important to have some sort of electrolyte drink when exercising. Electrolytes are little charged substances that help transport water in and out of cells.
If you are lacking electrolytes/electrolyte imbalance, your water cannot get into the cell membrane. Try and increase consuming foods prior to exercise that will increase sodium and potassium.
Examples include legumes, nuts, seeds, dates and bananas. Also, drink water with some electrolytes in them.
Body Armors would be my recommendation because they do not use dyes. You can also access Body Armors at both Push locations.
Another option is add a pinch of pink Himalayan Sea salt and juice of half of a lemon in your water. Be sure to replace fluids and electrolytes during and after exercise.
When the body becomes dehydrated, performance decreases quickly. A quick tip to start your day off right is to drink 8 oz of water with lemon juice and sea salt.
You lose a good amount of water just from breathing at night, thus leaving your body dehydrated right off the bat.
Always start your day off with water! Clearly, staying hydrated is important, not just for performance, but for optimal body functioning.
STAY HYDRATED, PEOPLE!
Looking for more information on nutrition for baseball and softball? Read Nutrition Coach, Ashley Edwards’ other article here.