Drinking adequate fluids is essential for top athletic performance. Body fluids have important jobs: Fluid in the blood transports glucose to the working muscles and carries away lactic acid; urine eliminates waste products; sweat dissipates heat via the skin. If you sweat heavily and lose too much fluid, you reduce you ability to provide adequate circulation to both the muscles and body surface. This not only hurts your performance but also can endanger your health.

Unfortunately, many people who exercise pay too little attention to including adequate fluids in their sports diet. They suffer needless fatigue and perform sub-optimally. The following tips may help keep you well hydrated.

Prevent dehydration during training.

On a daily basis, make sure that you drink adequate fluids. You can easily determine if you've had enough to drink by monitoring the amount and color of your urine.

1. You should urinate frequently throughout the day.
2. The urine should be a clear, lemonade color and in significant quantity.

If the urine is dark, concentrated and scanty, you need to consume more water, juice and other fluids.

( Note: if you take vitamin pills, your urine may be dark colored. Monitor hydration by the quantity of urine and darkness of color.)

1. To increase awareness of sweat losses during exercise, weigh yourself before and after a hard workout. Each pound lost represents one pound (two cups) of sweat. Replace it accordingly - and try to lose less than 2% of your weight!
2. You don't have to drink only water for fluids. Juice, lemonade, soft drinks and water foods such as soup, oranges, lettuce, yogurt and melon all have a high water content that contributes to your overall fluid balance.
3. Be aware that coffee, tea, beer, alcohol have a dehydrating effect; they cause you to urinate and lose fluids. Hence, If you choose to drink beverages with alcohol or caffeine, do so after having quenched your thirst with other fluids. I.e., First drink two or three large glasses of water, then have a beer if desired.

Prior to hard endurance exercise:

1. The day before, drink extra water, juice and other fluids to be sure your body is well hydrated.
2. The morning of the event, drink 2-3 large glasses of fluid up to two hours prior to the start. Since the kidneys require about 90 minutes to process liquids, two hours allows time for you to empty your bladder before the start of the event.
3. Five or ten minutes before start-time, "tank up" on another 1-2 cups of water. This will be ready to replace sweat losses.

During hard exercise:

1. Drink as much as you can, ideally 8-10 ounces every 20 minutes, or as much as you can tolerate. Since you may be sweating off three times this amount, you may still have a fluid deficit.
2. Prevent dehydration by taking adequate fluids (water, sports drinks or diluted juice) early in the event. Drink before you get thirsty! By the time your brain signals thirst, you will have lost 1% of your body weight (1.5 pounds or 3 cups of sweat for a 150 pound person). By 2% dehydration (3lbs.), you may have reduced your work capacity by 10-15 %.

After exercise:

1. Drink to quench your thirst, and then drink even more. Since the thirst mechanism inadequately indicates whether or not you've taken enough fluids, you'll have to tell by monitoring your urine. If several hours pass without your having to urinate, you are still dehydrated, keep drinking…
2. Juices (especially orange or banana/orange blend) replace not only fluid but also carbohydrates and potassium. Two or three cups within one hour post-exercise can help you quickly recover from a tough workout.

1. Water vs. Sports Drinks: For the recreational athlete, water is always appropriate. Water is what your body needs and absorbs quickly. For endurance athletes or those expending large amounts of energy for more than ninety minutes, a sports drink, diluted juice or soft drink that contains 60- 80 calories per 8 ounces offers an energy advantage during exercise that can enhance stamina and endurance. Experiment during training to learn which fluids settle best in your stomach.

1. Electrolyte Replacement: Sweat contains not only water but also small amounts of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes that keep your body in fluid-balance. You lose small amounts of these electrolytes when you sweat, but you do not deplete yourself except possibly under extreme circumstances. Hence, you can easily replace the losses after exercise by eating fruit, juice, yogurt and other wholesome foods. Commercial fluid replacement drinks are generally weak sources of electrolytes compared to natural fruits, juices and recovery foods. Water plus wholesome foods do a great recovery job!