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Drink up to boost performance Even if you’re not thirsty. By Balvinder Sandhu
 Most children hate drinking water when they are not thirsty, but for young athletes, it is not an option. Aspiring medallists, particularly in endurance sports, have to pay attention to proper hydration if they want to perform well.
“Proper hydration enhances physical and mental performance, and is an important factor in young athletes’ ability to achieve their best performance,” said Dr Roger Tian, Associate Consultant, Changi Sports Medicine Centre.Athletes taking part in endurance sports, such as triathlons, and sports that involve long hours of sun exposure or cause excessive sweating, such as sailing or football, have to be particularly disciplined, said Dr Tian.
Why fluid works
During physical activity, the body generates large amounts of heat. The water in the blood transports excess heat to the skin surface, where it can evaporate as sweat.
“Children absorb heat more quickly than adults because of differences in body mass and surface area. They generate comparatively more body heat,” said Dr Tian.
But as young athletes’ ability to perspire has not fully developed, “they don’t perspire as efficiently as adults and thus can’t cool their bodies as effectively”, he added.
 Dangers of dehydration
Dehydration can cause a variety of ill effects and even lead to heat stroke. Warning signs of dehydration include thirst, dry lips, headaches, confusion, dizziness and cramps.
“Physical performance is affected at dehydration levels of as low as a loss of 2 per cent of body weight,” said Dr Tian. “At higher levels, such as 2 to 4 per cent of body weight, mental performance such as mathematical ability, information processing and decision-making skills are also affected.
At levels of more than 5 per cent, reaction times are increased, so athletes take longer to react to situations. Dehydration at any degree increases stress on the heart and affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature.”
If the body loses more than 2 per cent of its weight through perspiration, this can even lead to a drop in blood volume, which means the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body.
In addition, Singapore’s hot and humid weather also adds to the risk of dehydration.
The right liquids
What types of fluids are ideal for helping young athletes stay hydrated? For activities lasting less than an hour, water is sufficient as it is readily absorbed by the intestines. Cooled water is ideal, as it is more palatable, and easier to drink. Sports drinks are also beneficial.
“Sports drinks provide carbohydrates which help to maintain blood sugar levels and delay fatigue in sporting activities lasting over an hour. They also contain electrolytes, which improve the body’s ability to retain fluids,” said Dr Tian.
However, he advised steering clear of drinks that have high carbohydrate levels of above 10 per cent, as well as those that contain fat and protein, as these may stay in the stomach longer and cause discomfort. Other fluids to avoid include fullstrength fruit juices and other highly concentrated drinks.
He also cautioned that while it is important to be properly hydrated, overdrinking will cause dilutional hyponatraemia, which is characterised by insufficient salts in body fluids. This can lead to nausea, vomiting, cramps or even a coma.
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