Sports Nutrition: The Importance Of Staying Hydrated
Your body needs three things to function smoothly: energy (food), hydration (water), and rest (sleep). Cutting out one of these components would play havoc on your body and its ability to properly function, so you need to ensure that you are not lacking for either of them. If you are active you will notice that your need to stay hydrated is a bit more acute than if you did not play a sport. When you exert yourself two things happen:
1 Your body burns calories ? Your body will burn calories in order to sustain a sufficient level of energy. This will keep you on your toes and ready to rock, and proper nutrition will ensure that you're fueled up enough to outlast your opponent. Many times it is not the player that wins, but the diet- the saying ?you are what you eat? definitely applies here, as if you are able to outlast your opponent by keeping your A game on longer, victory will almost certainly be yours.
2 Your body expels moisture ? You lose a lot of moisture simply by breathing, and that amount skyrockets when you are performing an intense physical activity. You don't have to sweat to become dehydrated, though sweating will amplify the effects of dehydration.
There is nothing worse than becoming dehydrated, especially when you are performing a physical activity. Many things may happen to you once you've reached a certain level of dehydration: you may feel ill, become dizzy or unbalanced, or even lose consciousness. Extreme dehydration will lead to death, though it is unlikely that you will encounter that situation at a fencing tournament.
There are several ways to ensure that you remain well hydrated throughout the course of the tournament:
1 Cut the junk from your diet ? Get rid of high-salt foods and soft drinks. Both are the leading cause of hydration loss in North America. Contrary to popular belief, soft drinks don't hydrate you. In fact, they actually cause you to become even more dehydrated, defeating their purpose.
2 Drink lots of water ? Drink a small bottle of water every half an hour. Sure, you'll have to pee a bit more, but the whole ?staying alive? thing is more important than whether or not you have to pee more than usual.
3 Stay in the shade ? Avoid spending too much time under the direct rays of the sun. Along with cooking your skin, it will cause the moisture from your skin to evaporate, forcing your body to replace it. Unless you are consuming boatloads of water it is generally a better idea to stick to the shade.
Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, should be avoided, as the energy that they provide is temporary at best, and they are known to dehydrate you. A tall glass of water is just what your body needs.
Craig Harkins has been an active fencer for over 20 years and has been credentialed to report at the Beijing Olympic Fencing competitions and has had http://Fencing.Net featured on the BBC and NBC Sports Olympic coverage. For more fencing news and fencing equipment, go to http://shop.fencing.net.
Related Articles:
Business Coaching: Coaches Are Not Just For Sports
Do you remember when you were a small child and you would watch an older child play a sport, and you would think how amazing they were? Then as you got older you would play sports and try to do everything just like the pros. However for some reason you were never able to do things just like they were able to do them.
Are Luxury Sports Fans A Growing Class of Traveler? Paris Luxe Apartments Says ‘Yes’
ParisLuxeApt.com offers upscale apartments, tickets and VIP airport pickup for the 2007 French Open or the September 2007 Rugby World Cup Championship in France.
Sports Massage - An Introduction
Many therapists offer Sports Massage on their "Massage Menu" yet few understand what Sports Massage is about. When a client comes in requesting a Sports Massage, some therapists merely react by going in deep.
The Saab Gt850 Sports Car - A Most Collectible Mid-60's Sportscar Auto
Before the strange Saab Sonett sports car reached full production in 1967, Saab?s performance leader was the unconventional GT850 sports sedan. Powered by a three cylinder engine, triple carbureted two stroke engine, its mechanical specifications seem more like competition dirt bike than an automobile.
InterXgaming Online Casino, Poker and Sports Betting Site Announces Special Holidays Promotions
InterXgaming an International Internet gambling site, consisting of an online casino, online poker room and sportsbook, has published its promotions for the holiday season on its online gambling site.
Touchdown Jesus Scoreboard Finds Home in Elkhart Restaurant and Sports Bar
A piece of college football history has found a home near the stadium it once served. One of the most visible scoreboards in the history of college football, north end zone score board from Notre Dame Stadium was recently acquired, restored and installed in a restaurant sports bar in Elkhart, Indiana just a few miles from its original home.
Finding The Right Sports Wheelchair
If you?re in the market for a sports wheelchair, you know there are a variety of considerations to be made with any wheelchair purchase.
Fanpage.com Unveils 2007 Fantasy Footbal League -- Top Sports Site Offers Fans Free Salary Cap Football, Survivor Football and NFL Pick'em With Chanc
Fantasy sports and web 2.0 collide. Fanpage.com is bringing together fantasy sports and social networking in one incredible sports portal. www.fanpage.com.
NFL Football Picks - How to Make a Killer Bet on Sports
Do you like Football Is this even a question
Help On Sports Nutrition And The Supplements Needed
Sports nutrition plays a huge part in gaining the best sporting performance. If you play hockey, golf, football, tennis or whatever your chosen sport is, having the right nutritional balance is essential. There are many nutrients that can be got by eating the correct foods. Having the correct balance of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates are essential part of having the proper nutrition health regime.
Spending On College Sports Sponsorship To Total $515 Million In 2007
As students head back to campus for a new school year, IEG Sponsorship Report expects corporate spending on college sports to reach an all-time high. North American-based companies are expected to spend $515 million on college athletic programs, conferences and events in 2007, a 12.5 percent increase over the $458 million spent in '06.
Sports Psychology Masters Program And Job Options
Sports psychology is a growing field. A general definition of sports psychology would be learning to use the brain to accomplish maximum sporting performance. There are several common tools used in sports psychology, and as more is learned about the way that people respond to different tools, they will continue to change and develop accordingly. Much of the information learned about sports psychology is through academic learning, and several schools offer a sports psychology masters program.
NBX.com Kicks Off First Ever NFL World Sports Betting Championship Tournament with $10,000 Grand Prize
NBX Inc., an online sports entertainment company launches head to head competition for avid sports fans with fantasy sports betting tournament during NFL playoffs
DiscountSportsTickets.com: The New Face in the Ticket Reseller Market, this Revolutionary Online Sports Community Offers Ticket Sales and More
Discount Sports Tickets (DST) announced the launch of their ticket and sports information website today known as DiscountSportsTickets.com. Though a new company, Discount Sports Tickets is backed by some of today's top online marketing professionals and sports experts.
Horse Racing Forums and Sports Betting
The world wide web today finds its value in two aspects; advertising and connection. These two factors are the main reason why the internet remains alive today. People either learn how to buy stuff through the internet or they talk to other people. Connection requires special media.