Hydration Tips for Softball Players

It’s no secret that nothing beats water when it comes to keeping your body well-hydrated. And hydration is an important ingredient when it comes to any sporting activity, including softball. The reason for this is that athletes lose a lot of water in their body due to sweating. This is even made worse when playing under the direct heat of the sun, as the extreme heat makes athletes sweat even more profusely.

With the developments in sports science and nutrition, substitutes for water have been developed. But they don’t just keep an athlete’s body well-hydrated, they also provide additional benefits otherwise not found in water.

Sports drinks and energy drinks

Sports drinks are the next best thing to water for their hydration and performance-boosting benefits. In general, sports drinks provide an athlete with the following benefits: they hydrate your body, provide you with a quick boost of energy from the quick-burning carbohydrates in the mix,http://elgg.micds.org/pg/blog/xitnmh...-curious-thing, and finally, replenish your potassium and sodium stores needed for muscle contraction through the electrolytes.

With many brands of sports drinks out there, many softball players often ask me which brand provides the best benefits. The truth is that behind all the marketing hype and other additional products, they do the same thing: keep you well hydrated.

Then there’s also the wide use of energy drinks among athletes. Some people find it surprising, even shocking, that kids as young as eight drink these as substitute for water, but what’s even more surprising is that many athletes do the same thing.

Energy drinks only work as a stimulant, giving players a temporary mental and physical boost, and nothing more than that. In fact,http://www.guide-you.net/forum/index...13060#msg13060, energy drinks can also work as a diuretic, meaning they can actually make you lose body water a lot faster. Therefore, energy drinks are a pretty bad substitute to water, even to energy drinks, when it comes to keeping your body well-hydrated.

So if given a choice between sports drinks and energy drinks, opt to drink a sports drink instead. It provides you with real benefits when it comes to you game,http://bregandaerthe.the-otc.com/for...html#msg370886, not just keep you alert and awake.

How to make sure you’re well hydrated

More than just knowing the right kind of drink to take in, you also need to take an active role in ensuring that you’re always well-hydrated.

The first step would be to take regular sips of your fluid of choice during the game. This ensures that your body water is always replenished after you lose some of it due to sweating. Never wait until you feel thirsty before you drink, because it would be too late by then, as thirst is a sign that dehydration has already set in.

Being well-hydrated also means you always have water or sports drink readily available. If your team doesn’t provide you with one, make sure you always bring a bottle with you during the game. It’s a small measure that makes a world of difference in helping you always stay at your best.


About The Author
Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS,http://net.quadraforte.info/pg/blog/...ke-best-online, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder,http://www.stannclub.org/photos/disp...e.php?pos=-177, become mentally tougher, and be more dominant on the softball field. Visit us and sign-up to get tons of great FREE softball.