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Dehydration, hydration, and a cheap sports drink recipe


Submitted by joemor on 2002-03-31

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Dehydration can play a huge part in you NOT sending a climb, tendons for instance are able to hold less weight when dehydrated. So basically keep yourself hydrated.

To do this a good tasting beverage is best, as your more likely to drink somthing you like. Try to take little sips all day instead of ingesting huge amounts when you feel thirsty. When you feel thirsty it's already too late anyway. Same goes for food: avoid eating a lot at one time. You want all your energy to work on holding that painful crimp, not digesting your meal.

Sport drinks are a good (but expensive) way to ensure your body stays thoroughly hydrated. Here's why:

They're sugar and electrolyte bombs: the sugar, and especially sodium helps you retain the ingested fluid. This means you have to drink less to achieve a good level of hydration. You won't feel waterlogged as easily. This is also the reason why you shouldn't drink them like water: take little sips instead.

The sugar in them can come in different forms: granulated sugar (sucrose), maltodextrin, glucose. Avoid drinks that are fructose-based since they absorb slowly. The electrolyte part is salt-based (sodium) in most sport drinks. Normally we get plenty of sodium in our food but adding some makes sure the drink gets optimally absorbed.

Commercially available sport drinks are just that: sources of sugar and electrolytes. Here's a way to make your own cheap sugar-electrolyte bomb:

Never exceed a 7% sugar/water solution! Exceeding this level of sugar/electrolytes actually slows down the absorption!

1 liter water
1/3 cup sugar (66 grams)
1/4 tablespoon salt (sodium-chloride)
and cordial to taste

Mix it all up and blam..... like magic it appears your own sports drink. Make a label and sell it to friends, gym monkeys and local sports heros, global domination is only a stones throw away.

anyway, remember keep hydrated and climb hard.

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