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The importance of good hydration

Our weight consists of 60% water, so this is really the main component of our body. For our health and a good balance of our organism, every moisture loss should be compensated. Finally, without water, we can only survive for a few days.

Dehydration

The term dehydration indicates a shortage of water, due to an imbalance between the amount of fluid that we absorb and excrete. Dehydration can even have serious consequences for our body because water is involved in a large number of chemical reactions to ensure the proper functioning of our body. In addition, every physical effort produces heat that must be removed, making us  sweat, which increases the risk of dehydration.

Dehydration is therefore the worst enemy of the athlete and his performance.

It is very important for every athlete to limit the loss of fluid. Even at a loss of 2% of body weight, a performance reduction of 10 to 20% can already occur. Dehydration of more than 3% of our body weight can even have serious consequences, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke in hot and / or humid conditions. Since athletes can exert 6% to 10% of their body weight during heavy exercise, this emphasizes the importance of good hydration.

In short, the more dehydration, the more it will harm our performance and our health!

What are the signs of dehydration?

• • A feeling of thirst,
• • An increase in heart rate,
• • A drop in blood pressure,
• • Headache,
• • Dizziness,
• • Lower performance: fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain.

Thirst is not a reliable indicator for dehydration, since you will only get thirsty when you have already lost 1% of your body weight to dehydration. So never wait to drink until you are thirsty!

Choose the right sports drink,  adapted to your track

For efforts of up to 1.5 hours, it is sufficient to supplement the lost electrolytes or minerals by drinking 3Action Hydration Tabs. These effervescent tablets contain the minerals that we lose during sweating.

For efforts longer than 1.5 hours, it is also important to fill up the energy reserves  and therefor 3Action Sports Drink is the most recommended drink. During very hot days, endurance athletes can supplement this Sports Drink with Hydration Tabs to absorb additional minerals and limit the loss of fluid.

Some tips to prevent dehydration:

• Check the color of your urine before training or race. Dark urine indicates dehydration. Colorless to pale yellow usually means that you are well hydrated.
• Before the  training or race, hydrate
• Drink regularly. Do not wait until you are thirsty or have been exercising  for an hour. Drink from the beginning of the effort, every 15 minutes 150 to 200ml.
• Continue to hydrate after the effort to replenish lost fluid and electrolytes (using 3Action Sports Drink or 3Action Hydration Tabs)