What s in your fluid bottle?

Transcription

1 What s in your fluid bottle? Last month I looked at why we sweat, what factors affect our sweat rate and the effect of dehydration through sweating on both physical and mental performance. As a result you should now appreciate how important it is to avoid dehydration at all times by taking on board fluids round the golf course, at the practice range and in the gym. The practice range is the place to try out different drinks, to learn how much you need to drink in different weather conditions and to get used to drinking enough to minimize dehydration. What are sports drinks? These are drinks designed to help hydrate you and optimize performance. Some of the ingredients are based on sound science, others are a necessary part of the manufacturing process or are added to give you a stable, palatable drink with a reasonable shelf-life. The key performance ingredients in a sports drink are carbohydrate, sodium and water. The presence of sodium and carbohydrate (in the amounts found in hypotonic and isotonic drinks) speeds up the passage of water across the gut wall so speeding up the process of hydration compared to just drinking water. Having carbohydrate in the

2 drink, at concentrations that do not inhibit stomach empyting, also helps to top-up flagging fuel levels. This can be particularly useful for those players who find eating (even munching on a banana or cereal bar) while competing or training difficult. Concentration of these ingredients must be such that they rehydrate the body fast and effectively whilst providing extra energy to top up the decreasing limited stores of carbohydrate. In other words the drink must be either hypotonic or isotonic. Isotonic drinks will provide more carbohydrate than hypotonic drinks. However, it goes without saying that the drink must also be palatable and easy to use otherwise you are unlikely to drink enough to minimize dehydration. Using a sports drink before, during and after practice sessions and competition can also help reduce the risk of picking up an infection. Studies have shown that using a sports drink in this way can minimize any rise in the stress hormones cortisol, catecholamines and growth hormone. A rise in these hormones has a negative effect on immunity. Taste will largely dictate which sports drink is used but it is a good idea to get used to a variety of drinks if possible, including both homemade and commercial drinks. It may not always be possible to make up a home-brew or buy your favourite drink particularly if competing abroad (sports drinks companies should be able to tell you if their drink is available in any particular country though). Some golfers find the flavour and strength of sports drinks too intense. However diluting these drinks with water will reduce the sodium concentration and make the drink less effective at rehydrating you. In this case you would do better by choosing a sports water.

3 Examples of sports drinks include Lucozade Sport, Powerade, Gatorade and Taut Endurance. Sports waters These are hypotonic drinks with lower carbohydrate contents than sports drinks. Some contain added vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. They tend to have a lighter flavour than sports drinks. Their lower carbohydrate and energy content makes them ideal for less intense sessions or cooler weather conditions, where sweat losses are lower. However they are not the best choice when rapid rehydration is necessary, for instance in warm/hot weather or when energy stores need to be topped-up. Examples of sports waters include Hydroactive, Aqua and Taut. For more information about what to drink, read the England Golf publication Staying the Course A Guide to Hydration for Golfers. This will be available to download from the EGU and ELGA websites from mid-april. Sports drinks and tooth care The two major problems dentists have to deal with are dental caries (decay) and dental erosion. Dental decay is caused by dental plaque a thin layer of bacteria which sticks to the teeth and breaks down sugars in the diet into acids which then attack the teeth. Anything that contains sugars will have the ability to contribute to dental decay. Dental erosion is a different problem and does not involve bacteria. It occurs when acids from the diet (or regurgitated from the stomach

4 for instance when you are sick) dissolve the tooth surface. The main sources of acid in the diet are fruits (particularly citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits and lemons), fruit juices, fruit-based and fizzy drinks, pickled foods or foods containing vinegar and sports drinks. Most dentists accept that keeping well-hydrated is vital for sportsmen and women and that sports drinks play an important part in achieving good hydration status. Sports drinks should therefore not be avoided because of the risk of developing dental erosion. Instead, great care should be taken to ensure the risks of erosion and decay are minimized as much as possible. So what are the guidelines? Sports drinks should be swallowed quickly, avoiding any sipping, holding or swishing of the fluid in the mouth. Try to squirt the drink behind your teeth and swallow quickly so that the drink does not really have any contact with your teeth at all. But please don t choke! Where possible, cool drinks should be used as this can help to reduce the erosion. For at least an hour after using a sports drink (or any other acidic food or drink) you must avoid brushing your teeth. You can however rinse your mouth out with a mouthwash. Sports drinks should only be used before, during and after training sessions and match play. Intake of other acidic drinks should be monitored and limited if necessary. Sugar-free chewing gum is tooth-friendly. It helps to clear away food debris and increases saliva production. Saliva is alkaline in nature and so helps to neutralize the acid. However, chewing

5 gum during exercise is a bad idea because of the risk of choking so keep the gum for after you finish. Have fruit juice at meal times when the food will stimulate saliva flow and so neutralize the acid. Once teeth have been cleaned at bedtime, nothing more should be eaten or drunk apart from water. This is because the flow of saliva drops when you are asleep. Flossing and brushing with de-sensitizing fluoride toothpaste should be undertaken twice a day. Finally regular check-ups with a dentist and hygienist will indicate whether you are taking enough care of your teeth. Jane Griffin Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant