Fluids – More Than Just Thirst-Quenchers

The daily fluid requirement depends on numerous factors. For instance, the requirement increases significantly with a higher temperature of the surroundings and also as a result of exercise and sporting activity.

A fluid balance exists when consumption and ingestion are equally in balance. To maintain this balance, someone who is not athletically active should drink at least 1.5 litres of fluids spread over the course of the day. During sporting activities, sweating regulates our heat balance and an increased supply of fluid is necessary. When the feeling of thirst appears, the body already has to cope with a deficiency of fluids, and this always has a negative effect on performance capabilities. This is why athletes are advised to drink before thirst appears, generally speaking 1 litre of liquids per hour of training.

Sports drinks are very well suited for supplying fluid before, during and after training or sports competitions. Since the body sweats out important minerals during exercise, the sports drink should replace these lost electrolytes. In addition, its ingestion in the body should occur quickly so that the athlete is optimally provided and the gastrointestinal tract is not too burdened.
The drink should also contain carbohydrates to supply the necessary energy for the physical strain during workout.

The emptying of the stomach and the subsequent rapid supply of the body depends on the one hand on the volume of the liquid and on the other hand on the amount of contained carbohydrates. There is a reversed proportionality between the carbohydrate content of the fluid and the speed with which it leaves the stomach. Therefore athletes on the one hand need adequate energy in the form of carbohydrates in the drink, but on the other hand the concentration should not be so high that it burdens the stomach. For this reason, so-called “isotonic sports drinks” with a 6-8% concentration of carbohydrates are the ideal solution.