Advance with MUSC Health

Hydration: Water Versus Everyone Else

Advance With MUSC Health
April 11, 2023
Woman drinks from water bottle under a tree

MUSC Health Athletic Trainer Kendric Wherry, ATC, knows that an abundance of sports and electrolyte drinks is readily available. Here, she answers the question, which is best for hydration?

Water has been and always will be a staple when it comes to hydration in athletics. In most cases, water is inexpensive, making it easily accessible for athletes and their parents.

Water is also vital for preventing and delaying dehydration. Dehydration can be simply defined as a fluid imbalance in the body that is caused by an inadequate water intake compared to the volume expended by the body during physical activity.

What Happens When You’re Dehydrated

This fluid loss can also lead to an imbalance of minerals in the body, causing symptoms such as extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps. Symptoms may be mild or severe and lead to decreased athletic performance.

Prolonged activity in a state of dehydration can increase the severity of symptoms, as well as cause illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Both illnesses cause the core body temperature to rise above 102℉, resulting in impaired cognitive function and, potentially, death if not treated immediately.

When Should Athletes Hydrate?

To reduce the risk of dehydration, athletes should begin hydrating at least 48 hours before athletic competition and continue during competition. The recommended amount is 1 ounce of water for every pound-and-a-half of one’s body weight.

Note: This amount is a general consensus; actual amounts may differ and should be tailored to the athlete. Sports drinks may be consumed before the competition to help with hydration efforts as well. Athletes should drink twice as much water, however, as a sports drink. For example, 40 ounces of water should be consumed after drinking a 20-ounce Gatorade or equivalent.

During practices or games, athletes should consume water every 15 to 20 minutes per hour of physical activity. Those time frames, however, will need to be shortened for activities longer in duration and in extreme temperatures.

Water vs Sports Drinks

Water is effective at replenishing the fluid lost during exercise, but it does not compensate for all the minerals and electrolytes lost. This is when sports drinks excel. Sports and electrolyte drinks were initially created for professional and Olympic-level athletes to consume during competition. Because these athletes perform at their highest level, they lose massive amounts of electrolytes.

Sports drinks often contain large amounts of two key substances: sugar and carbohydrates. These ingredients supply energy to the body’s musculature and replenish the electrolytes, allowing athletes to sustain their athletic performance. Although these drinks are beneficial, they have some drawbacks that can lead to potential abuse.

Because most sports drinks are high in sugar, they’re appealing to individuals of all ages, which can cause athletes and non-athletes to misuse and over-consume these beverages. Over-consumption of these sugary beverages increases the consumer’s overall caloric intake, which can result in unwanted weight gain.

Consuming large amounts of sugar can also lead to a fluid imbalance in the body like that of dehydration. Too much sugar in the blood causes the body to move fluid out of cells to reset the balance and return to homeostasis. This mechanism increases the frequency of urination and leads to dehydration.

When to Drink Which

Because of the potential risk, these drinks should be consumed only when the intensity and duration of activity warrant it. Drinking these beverages when not necessary may lead to potential side effects that are detrimental to overall athletic performance.

Sports drinks are the superior choice when it is time for athletes and non-athletes to replenish electrolytes lost from physical activity. On the contrary, water is a better option for shorter-duration activities in which the body loses mostly fluids and not electrolytes. Water is also superior in ensuring that the entire body is properly hydrated before athletic activity begins.

Both these resources are necessary for hydration, although the areas in which they excel differ. Like our body’s organ systems, sports drinks and water are most effective when used in unison.

MUSC Health Athletic Trainer Kendric Wherry, ATC, is part of our Lancaster Division Sports Medicine Team. Learn more about our sports medicine services.