The Importance of Hydration for Ocean Swimming
Whether you are a casual or competitive ocean swimmer it’s important to make sure you are fully hydrated before the race. Attention to good hydration and electrolyte balance is essential not only to your enjoyment of swimming and optimal performance, but also to help prevent muscle cramps and general health and safety.
During physical exercise, your body loses moisture through sweating. Swimmers are no different, so it may seem ironic that one of the biggest health risks for swimmers is actually dehydration, even though your body is completely surrounded by water. While dehydration is a danger during any endurance sport, it is more so during swimming as when you’re in the water you don’t realise you’re sweating or losing fluid because it’s not noticeable in the water.
Dehydration can contribute significantly to fatigue and can be detrimental to swimming performance – not only physically, but also mental skills such as focus, technique, judgment, and decision making can be adversely affected.
Dehydration – the warning signs
Since it is difficult to notice sweating during swimming (unlike most other ‘dry’ sports), swimmers need to be aware of dehydration symptoms and rehydrate as soon as possible. Increasing thirst can be an indication of dehydration – but this is not always the case as being surrounded by water you could easily overlook this symptom.
Symptoms include:
• Thirst
• Muscle cramping
• Fatigue
• Increased breathing rate
• Palpitations
• Headaches
• Weakness
• Dry mouth
• Unclear thinking
• Dizziness
• Increase in body temperature
• Increased effort and decreased stamina
• Dark coloured urine
Factors that enhance dehydration
Food and drink: While certain foods and drinks don’t directly cause dehydration, what you eat and drink (and the quantity you consume) can contribute to dehydration. Drinks that can have a diuretic effect (i.e. increases your urine output) and enhance dehydration include:
• Caffeine – including coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks, some sports gels
• Alcohol
Consuming too much sodium or sugar can also upset your internal fluid balance causing dehydration and increasing your thirst.
Race conditions: The risk of dehydration increases during hot, humid, windy and cold weather. Varying water temperatures and rough water conditions may require greater physical swimming output, also impacting your need for increased hydration.
Factors that help with hydration
Water. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Proper fluid balance is essential for maintaining your internal homeostasis and having your body function at an optimal level. Drinking enough water particularly during the week leading towards race day is important. If you wait until race day before you hydrate – you’ve left it too late and you might still experience some negative effects of dehydration – which could be as simple and as subtle as just not performing as well as you thought you would – or symptoms could be much noticeable.
Electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential for the normal functioning of our cells and organs. They are also critical for nerve and muscle function. Electrolytes include magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium. Without sufficient levels of these key electrolytes, muscle weakness or muscle cramps may occur. Try different electrolyte drinks out during training and see which one works best for you and your body.
Healthy Food. A natural source of water and electrolytes is from fruit and vegetables. Busy lifestyles may mean it’s not always possible to eat as healthy as we would like. There are many delicious superfood fruit and vegetable products available that you can just add water to and drink every day. These provide valuable nutrients especially for people on the run and they are another way to increase energy, vitality and hydration in your body. Good Health offers a range of delicious single superfood ingredients including Organic Coconut Oil, Maca Powder, Spirulina Powder, Organic Beetroot Powder and Organic Kale Powder. Simply add to your morning smoothie and enjoy the benefits of increased nutrients and hydration.
Magnesium. Muscle cramps can be a symptom of improper hydration and electrolyte imbalance. A good muscle cramp can bring even the strongest swimmer to a standstill – which is not ideal in deep water. Cramping is fairly common and magnesium deficiency is one of the most common causes. This can be easily rectified by taking a magnesium supplement during the race season.
Good Health has a Magnesium range for everyone
Good Health Organic Magnesium Ultra is a high strength formula that is better utilised in the body because it contains more easily absorbable forms of magnesium plus added vitamins. This makes it faster acting and more effective for relaxing muscle tension, tightness and cramping. Magnesium also supports physical performance during intense exercise.
Good Health Opti Mag Powder contains a high dose of oxide-free magnesium powder as well as many other nutrients which are essential for optimal muscle performance and recovery. Opti Mag Powder is more easily absorbed by the body so it works faster and more effectively.
Magnesium Sustained Release is a unique product, specifically designed to slowly release magnesium in your body over 8 hours, allowing your body to properly absorb and utilize magnesium as it needs it, without any negative digestive effects.
Magnesium Sustained Release is a high strength magnesium formula that is made from Aquamin Magnesium. Aquamin Magnesium is marine sourced magnesium, derived from seawater and naturally contains many other trace minerals too. This natural marine form makes it easily utilised in the body.
Magnesium Cream contains genuine Zechstein™ magnesium chloride, the finest and purest natural magnesium chloride in the world. Combined with organic oils, Magnesium Cream provides fast support to soothe muscles and joints.
The skin is the body’s largest organ. Magnesium applied directly to the skin is absorbed quickly into the body, bypassing the digestive process completely. The advantage is that you can target specific areas of the body, helping to soothe specific muscles and joints where magnesium is needed.
Take time to consider your hydration needs this ocean series.
