Sports drinks are ideally suited for a high intensity ‘stop-go’ sport like hockey. Drink up!

Introduction

Since the body is predominantly water and performance during a game can be enhanced by being properly hydrated, it makes good sense to focus on drinking fluid before, during, and after games. Fluids can come from many sources: water, sports drinks, and food (before and after games). A good indicator of players being properly hydrated is their urine will have a slight yellow colour to it.

Why drinking fluids is so important

It is important to be properly hydrated for optimal performance because the body is made up of predominately water. Following is the percent of water of human organs (and blood):

• blood 83%
• heart 79%
• muscle 76%
• skin 72%
• liver 68%
• bone 22%

Water also plays important roles for body functions:

• Helps the body perform chemical reactions (muscle contractions)
• Helps eliminate waste products
• Regulates body temperature
• Helps digest food
• Transports nutrients to organs and muscles 

Being properly hydrated can enhance performance in several ways:

• Playing at a high intensity will “feel” easier
• Better and more efficient muscle contractions
• Better body temperature regulation and sweating 

Hydration before a game

Hydration must start several hours before the game starts. Players can start to sip fluids in the morning and continue sipping until approximately one-hour before the game. The reason for stopping drinking, or slowing down drinking before a game, is so that players do not have to go to the bathroom during a game. It is not a good strategy to guzzle fluid before a game to “catch up” on hydration.

There are different beverage options for players to drink before a game. Water is a good choice, but it does not have the vital electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are important for efficient muscle contraction. Water does not have carbohydrates either. Therefore, a sports drink, or a diluted sports drink, are better options for hydration. Research on hydration has shown that taste and the colour of a drink can enhance an athletes’ fluid consumption. That is to say, if a fluid tastes good and looks appealing, players are likely to drink more. It is important to remember from previous articles in this series that carbohydrates are important for performance, therefore drinking a dilute sports drink can help get the muscles and blood sugar ready for the game. This is one advantage of a sports drink over plain water. Finally, research has shown the when athletes drink water, it turns off thirst too soon, compared to a sports drink.

There are two ways to dilute a sports drink: 1). buy several bottles of sports drinks, empty half of the bottles (put the fluid in another bottle) and mix with water and 2). buy sports drink crystals (Gatorade sells this product) and mix with water to the most appealing taste and concentration. Sports drinks are ideally suited for a high intensity ‘stop-go’ sport like hockey.

Hydration during a game

If you watch an NHL game, you will notice that many players are drinking a sports drink on the bench and perhaps not as much water as they used to.  This is a sign that pro hockey is evolving with the sports science information that drinking a sports drink, or a dilute sports drink, during a game can help with hydration, replacing electrolytes lost by sweating (sodium and potassium), and maintaining carbohydrates levels for blood sugar.  Sodium improves fluid intake because it stimulates thirst, promotes both carbohydrate and water uptake in the intestines, and reduces the volume of urine produced.

For younger players, preparation for optimal in-game hydration starts several hours before the game.  Many players will pack their equipment and water bottle and leave for the game.  When they get to the rink they fill their bottle with water, and they are “good to go.”  Or are they, maybe not.  There is nothing wrong with drinking water during a game.  Water is a very good fluid for hydration.  But is it the “best” fluid, probably not?  The “best” fluid for optimal hydration is a sports drink or a diluted sports drink.  This means the player (or with a parents help) must think about hydration before they leave for the rink by preparing their in-game hydration fluid with sports drink mixed half and half with water or preparing their fluid with sports drink crystals.  Making sure they have enough of the fluid for sipping before the game, during the game, and after the game.

Hydration after a game

Drinking after a game is important for 3 reasons: 1). quench thirst, 2). rehydrate the body, 3). start the process of getting carbohydrates and proteins in the muscles (and liver) in preparation for the next game, practice, or work-out. Water is not the best choice for post-game hydration. A better choice is a fluid that has electrolytes, carbohydrates, and some proteins. It is not necessary to buy expensive fluid replacement drinks because it is easy to get fluid, electrolytes, and proteins with drinks and food from home.

One of the best choices for post-game hydration is chocolate milk. It is affordable, low-fat chocolate milk has a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, it has fluid and sodium to aid in recovery, and drinking a carton up to two hours post-game appears to be optimal for exercise recovery and will help repair the muscle damage that occurs during high intensity games. For that matter, even normal white milk is a beneficial post-game drink.

Another option for post-game hydration can be a sports drink and a small snack containing carbohydrate and protein. This may sound crazy, but some research has shown that eating a candy bar has the same effect for recovery as an expensive store-bought supplement. But, if players are not that adventurous, they can make a peanut and jam sandwich or just eat a granola bar after a game.

Fluid, carbohydrate, and protein are important after a game because they all enhance specific actions in the body for recovery and preparation for the next game: getting protein to the muscles to help them recovery from a high intensity game, carbohydrate replenishment, and rehydration.

What fluids and food count as water?

• Water or flavoured water
• Sports drinks
• Soup
• Juice: regular or diluted
• Low fat milk
• Tea, coffee, herbal tea (research is clear that caffeinated beverages are not dehydrating)
• Fruit: watermelon 90% water, oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, yogurt.

In conclusion, drink before, during, and after the game so that urine is light yellow colour. Start pre-game hydration several hours before the game. During the game, it is best to drink a sports drink or a diluted sports drink. After the game, drink, or eat, fluid or food that contain fluid, electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein.