Here’s a very interesting piece by Karim Khan for the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Titled, Are the recommendations for fluid intake in humans valid?, guest author Dr. Evan Lloyd reviews the research and examines recommendations, health, thirst and sports drinks.
SportMedBC’s Manager of Performance, Dr. D’arcey Musselman also reviewed the article. Here are her thoughts:
“This article presents some interesting comments in regards to fluid intake.
“I agree that laboratory experiments do not necessarily translate or reflect how the body will respond in the ‘field’ environment and following a strict regimen of fluid replacement could lead to trouble.
“Hyponatraemia is a huge concern, especially in endurance events. In my opinion and athletic experience, relying on thirst is not the best protocol in determining your hydration needs while participating in sport. At this point, your body is already at a deficit and it is too difficult to rehydrate and continue to perform at an optimal level for peak performance. Athletes, and in particular endurance athletes, need to finely tune their individual fluid needs based on their sweat rates, their ability to ingest fluids, the weather/conditions and the length of time of the event.”
What do you think? Are the recommendations required? Do hydration needs vary from person to person?
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