Most athletes know hydration matters, but few realise just how quickly dehydration can affect performance, and you could too be leaving vital performance gains on the table.
Research has shown that losing as little as 2% of your body weight through sweat can begin to reduce endurance performance, increase perceived effort and make exercise feel significantly harder.
For a 75kg athlete, that's just 1.5 litres of fluid loss.
But unfortunately, hydration isn't just about replacing water.
When you sweat, you also lose electrolytes, namely sodium, which help regulate muscle function, fluid balance and nerve signalling.
This is why longer sessions, especially in warm weather, often require both fluids and electrolytes rather than water alone.
A few simple habits can make a big difference:
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Start training well hydrated rather than trying to catch up afterwards.
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If your session duration is 60-90 minutes or more, you will need to replace fluids throughout your session.
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Replace fluids after training, especially if you've lost a significant amount of sweat or depending on the climate i.e. summertime.
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Check the colour of your urine - it should generally be a pale straw colour rather than dark yellow.
Sufficient hydration won’t necessarily make you fitter, but it can help ensure the fitness you've worked so hard to build is being adequately showcased.
For most, basics like this one is all you need for the extra 1% difference.
