Preventing Dehydration

Your ability to perform athletically can decline with a very small amount of dehydration. Just losing 2% of your body weight in fluid can decrease performance by up to 25%.” So, whether you’re an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, drinking water during exercise is essential if you want to get the most out of your Pickleball game and feel good while you’re doing it.

The Dangers of Dehydration

When you’re engaged in outdoor,or even indoor, Pickleball play you’re more likely to be losing water, both through your breath and through sweat. If you start out dehydrated, you ’ll get dizzy, lethargic, your muscles won’t work as well, you won’t feel as sharp mentally, and you’ll get cramps sooner.

The Benefits of Adequate Water A well-hydrated athlete feels stronger and can play longer and more effectively. The heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood to the body, and oxygen and nutrients can be transported more efficiently to the muscles you’re working during play. That means you’re going to have more energy to play a good game of Pickleball.

Research has found that even experienced athletes don’t do a very good job at estimating their fluid needs.

How Much Water Do You Need?

So how much water should you drink before, during, and after a game of Pickleball? First, make sure you’re well hydrated to begin with. Drink fluids throughout the day before you play. Here are suggested guidelines to help keep you from becoming dehydrated while on the courts:

One to two hours before you go to the courts, drink 15 to 20 ounces of water 15 minutes before you are ready to start playing, drink between 8 and 10 ounces of water In between games, drink another 8 ounces (Assuming games last on average 15 minutes.) You may need to drink more if you’re sweating heavily, especially if you’re exercising outdoors in very hot

weather.

It is alsosuggested that you weigh yourself before and after exercising. For every pound lost, replace it with 16 to

20 ounces of fluid. If you find you have lost weight you might want to drink a bit more next time.

Many people like to use sports drinks during exercise, but that’s generally not necessary unless you’re working

out for an extended period of time. Most people who are working out for less than an hour at a time can get

everything they need with just water.

Can You Drink Too Much Water?

It’s possible to drink too much water, but difficult to do. There is a condition called hyponatremia, usually found in endurance athletes. With hyponatremia, the blood becomes excessively diluted from too much water and sodium levels drop to dangerously low levels. This can lead to nausea, headaches, confusion, fatigue, and in extreme cases, coma and death. But you’d have to drink gallons of water to suffer hyponatremia -- enough to gain weight over the course of your exercise, which is rare.Just make sure you have a full water bottle handy and drink whenever you feel thirsty.