Saturday, 1 September 2012

Some Facts of Sports Nutrition and Staying Hydrated

By Tran Taranpado


These days, the level of the kind of competition that you get in youth sports is definitely at an all time high. Athletes these days really need to approach their sport from all angles, not only when it comes to physical play. Nutrition and hydration are important components to practically any competitive players game. It is not only just that which you do on the field that determines what will make you better, but also whatever it is that you are putting into you are body.

All too often and in many occasions, nutrition and hydration do not register on the top of to-do lists of many young athletes. If an athlete works out hard enough, it is almost definite that they will sweat. When a particular person sweats, he or she will lose more than just the water in their body. When you sweat you lose minerals, electrolytes, and other types of nutrients. Losing these electrolytes are far more critical than a lot of folks realize.

An electrolyte is something that helps carry electrical messages that is sent by the brain and subsequently transmitted to other parts of the body. Unlike some other particles like fat, carbos or proteins, these components are not stored anywhere at all in your body. Electrolytes, once shed by the body, are gone forever. The consequence of this is that the brain signals become weaker as more and more electrolytes are lost from the body.

The things that happen when the brain signals weaken can vary. Muscles can start to cramp up. Mental focus fades and people will tend to have slower reaction times. This can potentially have an impact on an athlete's overall performance level.

It is also important to find a drink that is high in electrolytes while maintaining a good balance of carbohydrates and sugars. The more sugar and carbs a drink has the more energy it takes to absorb the electrolytes. The fewer carbs and sugars a drink contains the easier and quicker your body can absorb the electrolytes.

Overall, taking care of your body off the field is just as important as what athletes do on the field. Making sure athletes are hydrated and stay hydrated throughout their activity is important to their health.




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