Water... Drink It Up!  
Howard E. Hagglund, M.D.  

DRINK WATER before, during and after [workouts]... I mean a lot! Thirst is slow to be appreciated. It is such an insidious monster. When you are at your “max” and nothing is working, a lack of water will likely be the ultimate cause. Try this before your next game or workout: Deliberately overhydrate. You’ll see a big difference in how you perform and how you feel.

Drinking water will prevent tendon damage and allow high stress without major injury. If tendons are dry, they are contracted and will tear easily. It takes a week to hydrate your body enough for them to be supple.

 Dehydration sludges up the energy cycle. Toxins must be carried off and clean water is needed to do the job. So don’t think tea or coke will hydrate you. DRINK WATER. In fact, after drinking a sugary liquid, you will need 6 glasses of water to wash the sugar out of your system! If you think the sugar will be burned and give you energy— not a chance! The sugar has to be stored or dumped. Both take extra energy and hamper tip top performance.

In your times away from your sport KEEP DRINKING WATER. Many times hunger causes us to snack and gain extra pounds. This very hunger is often really thirst! That’s right thirst. Drink water and you’ll hydrate your body and quench your appetite at the same time.

A grown sports-active male should be drinking 4 quarts of water a day. A female should drink 3 1/2 quarts. Of course you can adjust these according to your comfort level. Many of my patients revolt at these volumes for fear they’ll spend all of the rest of the day in the bathroom. You can avoid this by drinking water in 1/2 cup quantities. Add a small pinch of sea salt (1 pinch per three cups of water). Your body needs a little salt to retain the water you’re taking in. Be careful to replace all minerals too. When you sweat, you lose all of your minerals, not just salt.

Howard E. Hagglund, M.D.