Good hydration has been found to have a positive effect on performance with poor hydration being shown to impair performance.
Hydration in the game of Water Polo is often over looked (Perhaps due being in water), however it is just as imporant to maintaing hydration levels as in any other sport. With Water Polo being such a physically demanding game hydrations levels in the body can quicklu fall.
2.7L of water should be consumed per day for the average sedentary individual, however strenuous physical exercise and heat stress can greatly increase daily water needs, and the individual variability between athletes can be substantial.
By following some basic tips the athlete is able to insure that there are adequately hydrated. An active indivdual competing in water polo and training on a regular bases should follow the guidelines below.
-Guidelines
- Drink 450ml (2 cups) of fluids 2 hours prior to exercise.
- Drink 230ml every 20 minutes during exercise (sport intensity and environmental conditions may have an effect on how much is consumed).
- Aim to consume 3L of water per day
What about sports drinks, electrolyte replacement and carbohydrate replenishing drinks?
Sports Drinks
-There is no a more wide choice of sports drink avalible on the market than ever before.
These inlcude: hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic, carohydrate and electrolyte drinks.but which are best? and when is the correct time to consume them?
Fluid absorption
There are two main factors that affect the speed at which fluid from a drink gets into the body:
- the speed at which it is emptied from the stomach
- the rate at which it is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine
The higher the carbohydrate levels in a drink the slower the rate of stomach emptying.
Isotonic drinks with a carbohydrate level of between 6 and 8% are emptied from the stomach at a rate similar to water. Electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, in a drink will reduce urine output, enable the fluid to empty quickly from the stomach, promote absorption from the intestine and encourage fluid retention.
| Type |
Content |
| Isotonic |
Fluid, electrolytes and 6 to 8% carbohydrate |
| Hypotonic |
Fluids, electrolytes and a low level of carbohydrate |
| Hypertonic |
High level of carbohydrate |
When should these be consumbed?
Isotonic drinks: The water polo player should consume isontonic drinks during exercise, training and competiton in order to replenish the glucose stores in the body during activity, allowing the athlete to maximise there endurance levels.They give a combination of immediate energy from glucose, slightly delayed energy from sucrose and slower releasing energy from maltodextrin, making them ideal for training and competition lasting longer than 60 minutes. Examples of these include lucazade sport, SiS go, high five ect.
Hypertonic drinks: After a water Polo match the player should consume Hypertonic sports drinks. hypertonic sports drinks are usually used a recovery drink. They are used to replace lost electorlytes during exercise.
High energy drinks: Energy drinks may also be consumed prior to exerscie or a water polo match. Drinks such as rebnbull, relentless etc contain high levels of caffine that insure the athlete will have plentry of energy during a match or just when exercising. These should be consumed approximately 30 mins before competition to insure the fluid has been full absorbed.
Alcohol ?
A serious athelete should refrain from anu alcohol consumption as even the smallest of amounts can affect the players performance in an extremely negative fashion. The temptation of binge drinking may come more after a match for a celebration of victory.
-An athlete should learn there own limits and undertstand what tolrence they have. The RDA for women is about two glasses with men having a slightly higher RDA.
-Avoid any alcohol 24 hours post-exercise if you have any soft tissue injuries or bruises.
-Alcohol and injuries are a bad combination, and it may actually increase swelling, bleeding and delay recovery.
Some usesul site for more information on sports drinks and hydration are listed below:-
