Drinking lots of water is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle; it is crucial for regulating body temperature and keeping organs functioning properly. However, staying hydrated is especially critical for athletes. Fluid is consistently lost through the skin via sweat and through the lungs while breathing. If this is not replaced at regular intervals during training or competition, it can lead to dehydration.
Dehydration means that there is a decreased volume of blood circulating through the body. This can lead to a lack of oxygen in exercising muscles and a buildup of by-products of exercise, such as lactic acid. This, in turn, can lead to exhaustion, which can negatively affect an athlete’s performance.
Thankfully, drinking enough water only requires routine reminders and practice to become a regular habit. To encourage you to take up this habit, let us take a closer look at the benefits that drinking water has on athletic performance.
Hydration and energy
Water, by itself, does not provide any energy to the body because it has zero calories. However, water is critical in helping your body regulate its temperature so that it can efficiently derive energy from ingested nutrients.
Take note that water intake should be regular and reasonable. Integrative dietitian Ali Miller says that limiting yourself to 8 oz of water at mealtimes, solely to aid swallowing, is key for healthy digestion. Otherwise, you risk diluting your stomach’s reservoir of hydrochloric acid, which is essential to properly breaking down food into energy.
Hydrating outside of meals — a half hour before and up to an hour after — can be done liberally, however. Before workouts, USADA encourages athletes to drink 7-12 oz of cold water to maintain body fluid balance during exercise adequately.
…in a survey of 266 Traceurs, the most common parkour-related injuries were skin abrasions (70.3%), muscle injuries (13.1%), dislocations (6.1%), and soft tissue injuries (5.3%).
Hydration and weight loss
Many individuals engage in sports like parkour for rapid weight loss because of the effective combination of cardio, strength training, and balance practice. However, rapid weight loss has been associated with dehydration and poorer long-term performance among other athletes. Here, the majority of lost weight is water weight, and this often comes back when the individual resumes a regular diet and lifestyle.
Rapid weight loss is often achieved by fluid restriction, whereas natural weight loss can be achieved by drinking plenty of water. Vivek Gupta, M.D., MPH explains that drinking water can help with satiety. Hydrating, especially before meals, can take the edge off of hunger so that it is easier to stick to a diet plan. This will allow athletes to sustainably lose weight from excess fat without the downsides of over or under-hydration.
Hydration and recovery
Parkour is an incredibly physical sport and can sometimes lead to injury. A 2022 literature review by the Young People’s Health Special Interest Group reports that in a survey of 266 Traceurs, the most common parkour-related injuries were skin abrasions (70.3%), muscle injuries (13.1%), dislocations (6.1%), and soft tissue injuries (5.3%).
Dehydration reduces oxygen and nutrient delivery to the wound bed and impairs wound healing. Water helps thin the blood to make it more efficient when moving nutrients and oxygen into the cells. Water also generally helps with muscle soreness and tension, so generally, drinking half of one’s body weight in ounces can ensure that your body is able to process the day’s workout properly. This will allow you to engage in exercise without severe exhaustion.
Injury in parkour is often the result of improper movement or the inability to perform a safe landing. Athletes are more vulnerable to creating improper movement why dehydrated…
Hydration and movement
Injury in parkour is often the result of improper movement or the inability to perform a safe landing. Athletes are more vulnerable to creating improper movement when dehydrated because dehydration can impair thermoregulation and water balance. This may cause inhibition of cognitive function and motor performance.
Traceurs can significantly improve their athletic performance by exploring hydration, nutrition, and even other unconventional approaches such as hot yoga. Start simple by making it a habit to drink 7-12 oz of water before every workout. Eventually, you can work up to the habit of keeping your body properly and regularly hydrated.
