Fluid and Electrolyte Needs for Training, Competition, and Recovery

Fluids and electrolytes sodium are consumed by athletes, or recommended to athletes, for a number of reasons, before, during, and after exercise. These reasons are generally to sustain total body water, as deficits hypohydration will increase cardiovascular and thermal strain and degrade aerobic performance. Vigorous exercise and warmhot weather induce sweat production, which contains both water and electrolytes. Daily water 4-10 L and sodium 3500-7000 mg losses in active athletes during hot weather exposure can induce water and electrolyte deficits. Both water and sodium need to be replaced to re-establish normal total body water euhydration. This replacement can be by normal eating and drinking practices if there is no urgency for recovery. But if rapid recovery 524 h is desired or severe hypohydration 45 body mass is encountered, aggressive drinking of fluids and consuming electrolytes should be encouraged to facilitate recovery for subsequent competition.