PAINTBALLERS - STAY HYDRATED

PAINTBALLERS - STAY HYDRATED

Dusun Ali King Paintball, Gombak

HYDRATION doesn't only come into play during the game. It begins most importantly before. Let's say you plan to go paintballing Saturday. Wednesday is when you should START hydrating. Take a water bottle with you EVERYWHERE you go even if you aren't thirsty. Even if you're just staying at home. Tendencies are that if you have something with you, you'll drink it. As you pass a drinking fountain at school or work. Stop and take a quick drink. Anywhere you see water that is publically accessible, take a drink.

Staying Hydrated during your Paintball game is probably the most important. You MUST be drinking fluids, no matter how hot you are, or no matter the weather conditions. WATER with a pinch of salt just enough so that it isn’t testable in your water is one of the best things you are able to drink during this rigorous activity. As you drink the water through-out the day, these minerals will be returned to your body which will allow you to be more active during the game.

Prevention

The best way to prevent dehydration is to not get it. You do this by constantly drinking water. Not beer, not coffee, nor soft drinks (these all act as diuretics and exacerbate dehydration). The reason plain water works the best is your body can absorb it directly without having to digest the fluid. Don't wait for your body to "tell" you it's thirsty. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already partially dehydrated. Or you mistakenly think you're hungry and eat instead of drink.

Keeping your electrolytes in balance is easy with a proper diet. But if you don't eat properly, use a high quality multi-vitamin to help supplement the lack. Sport drinks can also help provide electrolytes, but you also get a lot of carbohydrates to go with them.

How Much is Enough?

Most of you have heard that you should drink at least 8 (or 10) glasses of water each day. This translates very roughly into 2 to 3 quarts/liters every day for a normal adult. This quantity goes up as your activity increases. Plan on adding a 8 to 16 ounces of water per every hour of activity, more if the work is very strenuous or the ambient temperature is high.

Be very aware of the surrounding temperature. In very dry climates, you won't notice sweat and be aware of how much fluid you're losing. In colder climates, you won't lose as much to cooling, but you still need to drink much more than you think. You know you're well-hydrated when you're peeing several times during the day and the urine is pale or nearly colorless.

The best prevention is keep your water and electrolyte intake balanced with the outflow. In other words, don't drink more water than you're sweating out. Eat snacks that are rich in sodium or take a electrolyte replacement supplement.

Please bear in mind that electrolyte replacement rates will vary from person to person. You need to experiment and find out what will work best for your body.

Tips on Staying Hydrated

Here are some ways you can prevent dehydration:

• Carry water with you. Sport bottles can be taken along with you or for the more professional look, the hydration harness can be carried onto the field for those long hours on the field.
• Adding flavorings to your water. Research indicates adding a flavoring increases the amount of water drunk. Add a slice of citrus or some fruit syrup to your drinking water if plain water bores you.
• Alternate between water and your favorite drink. If you're out of game, have a one glass of water for every soda you have.
• Drink before, during, and after gaming out. Also get in the habit of having an "after work out" snack or drink to replace lost electrolytes.
• Make time during your games to have water. If you can't carry water on the field, make sure you take a break and get a drink.

GOOD LUCK and be a SMART PAINTBALLERS.

For more info about paintball go to: http://dusunaliking.multiply.com

(reliable sources: Paintball.com)