The right way to stay hydrated while playing ball & bull; hello healthy

Dehydration is one of the things that need to be avoided in exercising. Mild dehydration can affect thinking function and physical performance. This is of course not profitable for those of you who are competing to become champions. For this reason, it is important to keep your fluid needs met or in other words, to maintain a balanced hydration status.

How much do you need to drink while competing?

Training sessions are a good time for the player to estimate how much sweat he has lost and how much fluid he will need. Everyone has different fluid needs.

Here are techniques you can use to calculate your fluid requirements.

Measure your weight during the 1 hour before and after the exercise with the intensity similar to the real match
Measure your weight using minimal clothing and bare feet. The sweat that builds up on your clothes can add to your weight when weighing.
Measure the amount of fluids drunk during exercise.
Sweat expelled (liters) = body weight before exercise (kg) - body weight after exercise (kg) + amount of fluid drunk during exercise (liters)

The amount of sweat that is expelled will determine how much fluid you need during a match. Drink that amount of fluids during the match. You should not drink more than this amount, as excess fluids will increase your weight. This will make you uncomfortable when moving when competing.

When is the right time to drink?

Before a match or practice

Many players come to matches or training sessions dehydrated. The most common reason is because players have not had breakfast before. Players who are dehydrated will certainly tend to try to drink more often than those who are not. This will shift their focus from the match or training session.

In hot weather, players are advised to drink 500 ml (about 2 glasses) for 60-90 minutes before the match. During this time, players have the opportunity to urinate to remove excess fluid before competing.

During the match

Often times we hear suggestions for drinking when we feel thirsty. However this is of no use as opportunities to drink during the match are limited. Some of the opportunities to drink during the match are during the warm-up, a few minutes before the opening kick (kick-off), and at the time half-time. Players should also take the time to drink on the side of the court when play is paused, for example when another player is injured.

In addition, additional breaks for drinking are required in hot weather. In this condition, the risk of dehydration is higher. For example during the final of the 2008 Olympic football match in Beijing when the weather was very hot and humid. At that point, the referee stops play for 2 minutes in the middle of each half for the player to drink.

During practice

During training, the trainer or manager should arrange the exercise to ensure there is time to drink between workouts based on the weather and intensity of training. In hot weather, it is best to exercise at the beginning or at the end of the day to avoid overheating.

After a game or practice

Players need to replace fluids lost after exercising. The goal is to drink 1.2 to 1.5 liters per kilogram of body weight lost after exercise. If you lose 1 kg after the match, then you need to drink at least 1.2 liters (one large bottle of mineral water).

The body fluids that are lost are not only in the form of water, but also salt or electrolytes. For this reason, the drinks you drink should also contain sodium. But if you want to eat, food usually already contains sodium so you just drink water.