Fluid Intake During Endurance Exercise – Is Drinking To Thirst Optimum?
Vol.12,No.2(2018)
In case of insufficient fluid intake, excessive water loss from the body by sweating or a combination
of both factors results in dehydration in athletes. Individually controlled fluid intake during exercise
based on the knowledge of the sweating rate is an optimal strategy that allows athletes to control the
extent of dehydration and minimises the negative impact on sports performance. However, current
recommendations are criticised by contemporary literature due to the overestimation of the undesirable
effects of dehydration on sports performance. The “benevolent” strategy of fluid intake during exercise, regulated by the dictate of thirst, is being re-evaluated with evidence-based support in available scientific literature. The theoretical work aims to critically discuss two contrasting strategies of fluid intake during endurance exercise, their impact on the progression of dehydration and on athlete’s performance. Recent publications on the topic of autonomous and prescribed fluid intake in sport were the background for the discussion. Based on the current literature, autonomous drinking behaviour is recommended to the majority of athletes participating in an exercise with a duration of < 90 min as it sufficiently prevents over-drinking. Prescribed drinking regimes should be adopted by endurance athletes in hot environments (> 30 °C) when exercise duration exceeds 90 min and by an
elite athlete during daily multiple-session training.
hydration; sports performance; ad libitum; thirst
70–78
Michal Kumstát
Masaryk University
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