Monitoring Your Level of Hydration
Information taken from 101 Sports Nutrition Tips by Susan Kundrat
Because dehydration can impair your performance quickly, and put you at risk for heat
illness and injuries, taking a few minutes to self-assess your status is worth the time. Athletes
____________ at different rates depending on their biological makeup. Perspiration levels also
vary for each athlete depending on the ___________________. Try the following two tips to
help keep your body running at its best:
Monitor your ________________. If you are hydrated, you should go to the bathroom
frequently, and have pale or colorless rather than dark-colored urine. If you don’t produce
much __________, it has a very ____________, or it’s very ____________ in color, chances are
you are dehydrated. Ideally, urine should look more like the color of lemonade, and less like
the color of apple juice. Also, be aware that some medications, foods, vitamins, or dietary
supplements may also change the color and odor of your urine.
Within two hours of a workout or competition, aim to get back to your __________________.
Periodically weigh yourself before and after workouts to ensure you’re not losing too much
fluid. After exercise, drink at least and additional ___________ ounces of fluid for every pound
you’ve lost in sweat. Remember, losing weight by losing fluid or becoming dehydrated is not
the way to get the pounds off. If weight loss is your goal, a sound ________________ coupled
with a __________________ is the key. If you’re a heavy sweater, make sure to use a beverage
containing sodium during workouts (i.e. a sports drink) and eat and drink foods with sodium
after you exercise to replenish the sodium lost in sweat.
To determine how much to drink in fluid ounces to replace fluids lost in sweat, use this simple
guide:
How much weight you lost during exercise (1 pound = 16 ounces) plus how much fluid
you consumed during exercise (in ounces) equals fluid ounces you need to drink to stay
hydrated during exercise.
Example: If you lose 2 pounds in a workout, you lose 32 ounces (2 x 16). Plus, you drank
16 ounces during the workout. Total fluid needs for the workout equal 32 ounces + 16 ounces =
48 ounces of water or sports drink.