HJNO May/Jun 2023

58 MAY / JUN 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN FITNESS I REMEMBER the days of high school football practice in South Louisiana. In the summer, we would typically have no shortage of conditions that would make any type of training challenging. We would spend two to three hours on the practice field and have scheduled “water breaks” about once per hour of practice. Luckily, we no longer live in an erawhere most trainers and specialists in perfor- mance enhancement would recommend restricting frequency of ingesting water at any level … but note, I said frequency, not volume. As is the case with most things we consume, there is almost always a point of diminishing returns. And yes, this applies to water as well. Too much can be just as harmful as too little. Although it is rare, overhydration during exercise can cause a dilution of blood sodium levels known as hyponatraemia. While the focus of this column is on avoiding dehydration, the IMPORTANCE OF OPTIMIZING HYDRATION for Fitness and Health Benefits guidelines I share will also help you avoid overhydrating. First, let’s look at what role fluids play in exercise performance. Hydration is es- sential to maintain blood volume, regu- late body temperature, and enable muscle contractions to function at an optimum rate for performance of any kind. The im- portance of hydration extends to not only physical performance but mental perfor- mance as well.