Drink Smart: Hydration and Exercise

MYTH VS. FACT

Myth: “I shouldn’t drink sports drinks because they have sugar in them.”

Fact: When you sweat you lose fluid and electrolytes. Sports drinks provide carbohydrate to fuel your activity and electrolytes to replace what is being lost in sweat. If you practice for less than an hour water is fine, but workouts over an hour require water and sports drinks to keep you hydrated. If you are practicing in a hot and humid environment, sports drinks should be included at the start of a workout.

Sports Nutrition 101

Hydration 101?

Summer and fall are some of the hottest months of the year which makes paying attention to your hydration essential! Just a 2% level of dehydration in the body equates to an approximate 10% decrease in performance. The key is not to over-drink, but to drink smart! Check out these pre, during and post-workout hydration tips:

Pre-Exercise
• Check urine color before beginning exercise
• 2-4 hours pre-exercise: 5-7 mL fluid per kg body weight
o 1 oz per 10 lb of body weight
o Generalized: 16-20 oz fluid (approximately one bottle water or sports drink)
• 2 hours pre-exercise: If profuse sweating is expected, drink another 3-5 mL fluid per kg body weight
o 0.6 oz per 10 lb of body weight
o Generalized: 7-12 oz fluid
• 10 minutes before workout/game: 5-10 oz fluid (water or sports drink)
• No pre-exercise electrolyte recommendations
o Encourage salty food intake like pretzels, tomato juice, pickles, soups, and other salty snacks

During Exercise
• Very individualized to athlete’s sweat rate, but a general rule is 5-10 oz (water or sports drink) every 15-20 minutes
o One medium mouthful = about 1 oz
• After one hour of exercise, make sure you are consuming some sports drink for carbohydrate and electrolytes
o 30-60 gm carbohydrate per hour
o Upon practice, it is possible to consume up to 1 gm carbohydrate per kg body weight per hour            o General electrolyte recommendation: 1 gm salt/1 L fluid                                                                                      • If it is extremely hot and humid, rely more on a sports drink to ensure adequate carbohydrate and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium); you may also need to drink a greater quantity

Post-Exercise
• Consume 16-24 oz of fluid (water or sports drink) for every pound lost during exercise
• If needing rapid rehydration due to multiple matches, 2-a-day practices, or other sporting events, consume
24 oz of fluid for every pound lost (150%)
• Including sodium post exercise (sports drinks and/or salty foods) can help retain ingested fluids and
stimulate thirst
• Sweat rate
o Pre-exercise weight – post-exercise weight = lbs lost
o Multiply lbs lost by 16 to get into ounces
o Add fluid consumed during exercise
o Result = how many total ounces of fluid were lost during exercise
o Take total number of exercise minutes and divide into 15-20 minute segments
o Divide total ounces needed by 15 or 20 to get how many ounces should be consumed at each
drinking interval
o http://www.powerbar.com/calculators/sweat.aspx

Healthy Bites…Recipe of the Month (page 2 of insert)

Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles
Looking for a nutrient-rich dish to whip up for the family? The Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles is a single dish packed with all the nutrients athletes need to fuel and recover. In addition, it is quick and easy to make!
The chicken breast, black beans and cheese provide protein to build lean muscle mass while the beans also provide fiber and carbohydrate. The corn tortillas are also a great source of carbohydrate in this meal. Pair this with a steam-in-the bag veggie or salad and you have a healthy, tasty meal to last a night or two.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (7 3/4-ounce) can salsa de chile fresco
15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded queso blanco (about 4 ounces)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories: 293; Carbohydrate: 40g; Fiber: 5.9g; Protein: 22.9g; Fat: 4.9g; Cholesterol: 46mg

–Amy Goodson

Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian for Ben Hogan Sports Medicine and serves as the sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, FC Soccer Dallas, Jim McClean Golf School, Texas Christian University Athletics, and University of Texas at Arlington Athletics. In addition, she is an adjunct professor and dietetic intern preceptor for Texas Woman’s University, Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington and is a state media representative for the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. . She received her Bachelor of Science degree in speech communications from Texas Christian University and Masters in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University.