Visit USA site >
100% Guaranteed Results. Pharma Grade (not just food grade). FREE gift: spend over £200. Next Day Delivery (7 days). Today: Free Delivery Over £50. Close

What's The Biggest Factor Affecting Your Performance?

Find Out More Here!

By Blake Mowatt on 31.01.2020 01:44 pm

RATE:  
 


What’s the biggest factor affecting your performance?

Fluid replacement is unquestionably the most important dietary essential in maintaining exercise capacity.

Why is appropriate hydration important?

Water maintains blood plasma volume, regulates body temperature and is crucial in the contraction of muscles. A loss of 2% of body weight, due to sweat, increases the risk of nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting. A loss of about 5% of body weight, due to sweat, can decrease work capacity by roughly 30%.


How does it work?

Blood

Dehydration will lead to increased blood viscosity (thickness). This is due to the decrease in blood plasma volume and thus reducing the volume of blood returning to the heart and consequently decreasing cardiac output. In short one’s ability to get oxygen and much needed nutrients to the muscles at work are massively hindered.

Temperature

An increased core body temperature can lead to an increase in glycogen breakdown. Contributing to a faster rate of fatigue. The breakdown of glycogen is largely responsible for the build-up of lactic acid, changing the pH of the muscle causing further levels of fatigue.

Muscles

The University of Connecticut conducted research on athlete’s hydration status and their muscle growth during resistance training over a period of three different states: hydrated, moderately dehydrated (2.5% of body weight) and critically dehydrated (5% of body weight). Researchers drew the athletes’ blood and examined certain molecules directly correlated to muscle growth. The athletes in a dehydrated state had an increased level of cortisol, stress hormone, which reduces the level of testosterone one can produce, the primary hormone required for muscle growth.


The Solution

Thirst is a poor indicator of one’s hydration status. Once the sensation of thirst occurs the body is already dehydrated. The simplest way to maintain an optimum hydration status is to observe the colour of urine. It should be pale or straw coloured, any darker suggests the re-uptake of fluid is necessary.

What to drink?

Isotonic, similar electrolyte concentration to that maintained in the body. Quickly replaces fluids lost during sweat. Team sports/ middle distance runs

Hypertonic, higher electrolyte concentration to that maintained in the body. Post workout to top up glycogen stores. Ultra-marathons, and must be consumed with excess fluid to actually hydrate the body

Hypotonic, lower electrolyte concentration to that maintained in the body. Rapidly replaces lost fluid. Used when athlete require fluid but not electrolytes.

Summary

Water is a major component of many chemical reactions on a cellular level in the body, whether for athletic performance, focus or for overall health. Research suggest that it’s almost impossible to reach maximal physical performance when dehydrated, due to the impact it has on the body’s ability to maintain osmotic homeostasis.


Article by Blake Mowatt

Nutrition Expert

You can follow Blake for more nutritional wisdow on Instagram here

Blake Mowatt

Blake Mowatt

Nutrition Expert

https://www.instagram.com/blakemowatt

Blake Mowatt is a human nutrition student, currently studying to become an accredited nutritionist. His passion for nutrition was obtained at a young age, motivating himself to lose weight and change his body composition. This lead to his mind being opened to the world of combat sports in the form of firstly boxing, then mixed martial arts, both of which he still trains and coaches to this day. In the future, Blake would love to go into the research field, public health or become a nutritionist for high performance athletes. He would like to help and educate as many people as he can on how to achieve and maintain sufficient health status and quality of life.

Instagram



X

FEATURED PRODUCT
Norateen® Heavyweight II

Norateen® Heavyweight II

Voted No.1: Men's Health BBC/ SKY TV. No side effects, full guarantee

£30


RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Norateen® 247 Day&Night

Norateen® 247 Day&Night

Limited time special offer saving you £££s on Norateen Day & Night

£139.98 £110
 
 
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Previous Next
Previous Next
Limited time special offer saving you £££s on Norateen Day & Night
£110  £139.98
Top Norateen Muscle Builder & LA Whey Gold Protein
£187.88  £209.99
Norateen Muscle Gummy and Fat Stripper Gummy in one Offer
£98.99  £160
3 powerful Norateen muscle builders, save Big get BIG
£195.99  £279.98
Voted "Best for Hard Gainers", Now with FREE Leaning agents, 50g per serving
£120
LA Muscle

Special Offers

Would you like to receive notifications about special offers?

No thanks Allow



Close