Heat Wave, Wiesy and Hydration

With unbearable heat across the country and The Big Wiesy passing out due to heat exhaustion, I thought it would be appropriate to post an article by Robert Yang, the nutrition consultant to the Titleist Performance Institute, about staying hydrated on the course.

Hydration on the Course   

“Stay hydrated” is a common phrase you often hear from playing sports and on the golf course.  Optimal hydration can improve your golf game mentally and physically.  Since the brain is made up of 85% of water and is water inefficient, it has top priority in regards to blood circulation.  Drinking the correct amount of water will ensure optimal blood flow to the brain which will enable you to focus on the golf course.

The human body is composed of 25% solid matter (solute) and 75% water (solvent). For instance, the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc is composed mostly of water. The majority of the weight of the upper body is supported by this water volume in the disc; therefore proper hydration can be a preventative measure against low back pain. Water also acts as a lubricating agent for joints which can relieve pain from chronic joint pathologies.

Now that you know the importance of proper hydration, the amount of water consumed per day is critical to reach this goal. 

Some people say “drink lots of water”. But what is a lot of water? Others say “drink 8 glasses of water per day.”  This is not an accurate way to determine the amount of water to drink each day.  For example if a female golfer weighs 100 pounds. 8 glasses of water may cause over hydration.  On the other hand if a male golfer weighs 200 pounds, 8 glasses of water falls far below the correct amount of water.

The optimal amount of water to drink is ½ your body weight (pounds) in ounces per day.  For example, a 200 lb. person will need to drink 100 ounces of water per day.  A key point to remember is that other fluids do not count toward your goal of ½ your bodyweight in ounces.  Those fluids include: coffee, tea, juices, soda, milk, sports drinks, and flavored water. In fact, other fluids like sports drinks and juices can actually dehydrate the body because it takes water to actually dilute these high sugar drinks before it is assimilated in the body.

Timing of water consumption is important to optimal hydration. Drinking water first thing in the morning is critical because during sleep the body becomes dehydrated.  Therefore drinking water first thing in the morning is the first step to optimal hydration.  Start with 25% of your total water intake in the morning. If your water intake for the day is 100 ounces, you would consume 25 ounces in the morning.  During a golf round you should consume 40% - 50% of your total daily intake of water.  If your water intake for the day is 100 ounces, you would consume 40-50 ounces of water on the golf course.  The remaining water should be consumed throughout the day.

The type of water you drink is important to achieving optimal hydration.  80% of bottled waters are filtered tap waters.  Choose a bottled water that has approximately 200-300 parts per million (mg/L) of dissolved solids.  This ensures a proper amount of dissolved solids in the water to maintain proper hydration.  High quality water sources include Evian, Fiji, and Trinity.  Water from Reverse Osmosis units can be used but the dissolved solids can be quite low. 

A great way to remedy this situation is to add a small pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to every liter of water.  Celtic Sea Salt is an organic, unrefined sea salt that has over 80 trace minerals that will help replenish the body with electrolytes.  Not only does it replenish the electrolytes in the body, it is a great way to prevent muscle cramps. Another great benefit of using Celtic Sea Salt is the reduction of allergic tendencies.  I have had great results with golfers that have allergic symptoms due to pollen and grass.  Many have reported reduced symptoms of allergic reactions with the proper amount of water and the addition of Celtic Sea Salt.  Please do not consume regular salt in the place of Celtic Sea Salt.  Regular salt is just sodium chloride which can be quite toxic when consumed on its own without the other trace minerals.

Drinking the proper amount and correct type of water may be the missing link to improving your golf game mentally and physically. So, here’s drinking to your golf game and health.

For more info about Robert Yang, check out his site at RobertYang.net