Feature Story
Peak performance in hockey – stay hydrated!
By Dr. Rob LaPrade,
MD, PhD
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Question: What can I do to stay at a top level of performance in
playoff games?
Answer: Proper
hydration is absolutely essential for maximal on-ice performance. Dehydration
can reduce one’s endurance and on-ice performance. This is perhaps the one
thing players and coaches can influence the most in trying to keep their teams
at their highest competition levels.
It is very important for one to recognize
that thirst is a poor indicator of the body’s hydration status. We do not
experience thirst until we have lost two percent of our body water content.
Since high level active skaters have been found to lose up to two liters or
more of water per hour from sweating, it is essential to replenish this loss by
drinking.
Mild dehydration of 2-3 percent, which is
common after a hard workout on the ice in full gear, can decrease work capacity
by 15-20 percent. In this regard, one of the best ways that coaches and
athletic trainers can help their teams to perform at maximal capacity is to
make sure that they do have sufficient water on the bench to treat their
athletes and also to make sure that they have frequent water breaks.
For every liter of fluid lost by the body
by sweat or through other means, ones body core temperature can increase by
0.5° F, blood output by the heart can decline by a liter a minute and the
baseline heart rate will increase 8-10 beats per minute. Since active skaters
can lose between 1-2 liters of water per hour through sweating, it is essential
to replenish this loss by drinking.
Cool and cold fluids are absorbed better
than warm fluids. It is important to drink before, during and after exercising
to maintain fluid balance. Our recommendations are to consume between 500-600 mL of cold water or a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage
15-20 minutes before exercising. During exercising, 250 mL
for every 15-20 minutes of hard on-ice activities should be a minimal
replacement gage.
Fluid replacement is essential to
maximize on-ice competition. Players should attempt to drink water after every
shift if possible. Hockey players are at risk for mild dehydration, with a
subsequent loss of on-ice skating capability, due to the gear that they wear
and the hard workouts, even in refrigerated indoor ice rinks. It is important
that players consume an appropriate amount of fluid replacement for practices
and games to maximize their on-ice competitive levels.
Dr. Rob LaPrade, MD, PhD, is the team physician for the