FLUID & ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT

FLUID REPLACEMENT

Failure to adequately hydrate on a daily basis, and especially during exercise, can lead to impaired heat dissipation. This can elevate body core temperature and increase the strain on the cardiovascular system. Performance can be negatively affected by a 2% drop in body weight due to fluid loss during exercise. Unfortunately, thirst is not the best indicator of when you should consume fluids. You may lose as much as 2-4% of your normal fluid levels during exercise before you will start to crave fluids. A thirsty athlete is already dehydrated and therefore performing below optimal levels. Environmental temperature and humidity, intensity and length of play, breathability of equipment and overall fitness level all affect how much fluid a player will lose during a practice, game or workout. Even though hockey is traditionally played in a cold environment, some of the ice arenas are quite warm, especially in the South and during summer league play. Some hockey players are also heavy sweaters (I have witnessed a professional hockey goalie lose 15 pounds in one triple overtime playoff game!) As a result, the one-size-fits-all approach to hydration is inadequate. In order to establish your sweat rate, it is important to weigh yourself before and after every workout, practice and game. Each player has to have their own hydration protocol based on their sweat rate. In order to calculate your sweat rate and fluid replacement needs during exercise, use the following equation:

Initial body weight =_______ lbs

Post-exercise body weight =_______lbs

Fluid loss = Post-exercise body weight – Initial body weight

Percentage body weight loss = Fluid loss / Initial body weight X 100%

Any percentage body weight loss greater than 2% signifies dehydration.

Every pound of body weight lost equals approximately 1 pint (16 oz.) of fluid.

Fluid loss (pints) = Total body weight loss (lbs)

Total sweat loss = Fluid loss (pints) + Amount of fluid consumed during the exercise (pints)

To stay hydrated within 2% of initial body weight, the athlete has a minimum fluid replacement rate.

Maximum allowable body weight loss = .02 X Initial body weight

The maximum allowable body weight loss can be converted into the maximal allowable sweatable fluid loss as 1 lb. = 1 pint

Minimum fluid replacement rate = Total sweat loss – Maximum allowable fluid loss x 16oz. / Duration of exercise (mins) X 15 mins

The minimum fluid replacement rate is the minimum amount of fluid that needs to be consumed every 15 minutes to maintain adequate hydration (maintain body weight within 2% of pre-exercise weight)

Maximum fluid replacement rate = Total sweat rate X 16 oz. / Duration of exercise (mins) X 15 mins

The maximum fluid replacement rate is the maximum amount of fluid that needs to be consumed every 15 minutes.

The minimum and maximum fluid replacement rate equations give the athlete a fluid consumption range every 15 minutes in order to maintain adequate hydration levels.

The following example will illustrate how the sweat rate and fluid replacement range is calculated:

Mario plays hockey for 2 hours and drinks a 16 oz. bottle of water during the game. He weighed in at 180 lbs. before and 176 lbs after the game.

Fluid loss = 180 – 176 = 4 lbs

Percentage body weight loss = 4 / 180 = 2.2% (dehydrated)

4 lbs of body weight loss = 4 pints of fluid

Total sweat loss = Fluid loss (4 pints) + Amount of fluid consumed during the exercise (16 oz. or 1 pint) = 5 pints (80 oz.)

Maximum allowable body weight loss = .02 X 180lbs = 3.6 lbs = 3.6 pints of sweatable fluid loss

Minimum fluid replacement rate = 5 pints – 3.6 pints x 16oz. / Duration of exercise (120 mins) X 15 mins = 2.8 oz. every 15 minutes

Maximum fluid replacement rate = 5 pints x 16 oz. / 120 mins X 15 mins = 10 oz. every 15 minutes

The recommended fluid intake for Mario during his hockey session is 2.8-10 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes.

This gives the player a range of fluid replacement to strive for every 15 minutes in order to maintain adequate hydration. Each athlete should have their own clear fluid bottle so that they can measure their individual fluid consumption as the exercise progresses. Proper hydration has to be practiced so that each player knows how much fluid intake is right for them during each workout, practice and game. Once you get your hydration intake right, you will reap the benefits of optimizing your performance in the weightroom and on the ice.

ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT

The major electrolytes lost in sweat during exercise are sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl). 4 liters of sweat contains 3-7 grams of sodium. The average North American consumes 6-9 grams of sodium per day! Sweat is relatively hypotonic compared to the body’s cellular fluid which means that you lose a lot more water than electrolytes when you sweat. There are 3 conditions where electrolyte replacement should be considered:

1)     Exercise lasting longer than 1 hour

2)     Excessive heat during exercise

3)     Salty sweaters (athletes who notice that their sweat is salty as it usually tastes salty and leaves white marks on their skin and clothing)

A lot of hockey players meet at least one of the 3 conditions for electrolyte replacement. Another factor affecting hockey performance is maintaining adequate carbohydrate/sugar stores in the blood and muscles. A sports drink should not contain more than 8% carbohydrate/sugar. Many sports drinks on the market contain sugar and electrolytes in adequate proportions to satisfy most players’ sugar and electrolyte needs. Unfortunately most of them also contain artificial colors and flavors to make them more marketable. I like to use the following home recipe modified from Nancy Clark’s Sport Nutrition Guide, 2^nd edition:

Dissolve 4 Tbsp. raw organic sugar and ¼ tsp. sea salt in a ¼ cup boiling purified water. Then add ¼ cup raw organic orange or lemon juice and 3 ¾ cup cold purified water and chill in the refrigerator.

Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com