One of THE most important aspects of martial arts training is hydration. It often gets overlooked in favor of getting optimal sleep and eating the right foods. Make no mistake, both of those things are critical, but showing up for class fully hydrated will make (or break) your session. All too often we see athletes complain of feeling “off” or “tired” and the culprit is obvious; it’s dehydration.
Common symptoms of dehydration:
- Feeling weak or lethargic
- Excessive sweating
- Reduced cardiovascular endurance
- Mental fog
- Sleepiness
Sound familiar? If you have been training in martial arts for any substantial amount of time you are guaranteed to have trained dehydrated before. Frankly, it sucks. On the flip side, when you are optimally hydrated you will feel like Superman (or Supergirl); not getting tired, plenty strong, and wanting to go, go, go! So let’s talk about how you can get, and stay, hydrated.
How do I reach optimal hydration?
The misconception is that ideal hydration is achieved simply by drinking a lot of water. While water is the key player, electrolytes are the secret superstar in this operation. Without electrolytes, your body will simply sweat/urinate all of your water right back out. Ever been hung-over and chugged glass of water after glass of water, only to continue feeling awful? It’s because your body has a shortage of electrolytes and can’t hold on to those much-needed fluids. Consuming adequate electrolytes through liquid and food is the only way to ensure your body can perform at an ideal level.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. These electrolytes are sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium. These electrolytes balance the amount of water in your body and also balance your body’s acid/base (pH) level. Yea….they’re pretty important.
What is the best and easiest way to get electrolytes into my body?
Rather than have to scarf down a big meal before your training session, pre-packaged powders that you can add to your water bottle are the ideal way to up your electrolytes and feel like a million dollars when you hit the mats for your training session. Straight Blast Bym Atlanta now carries LMNT, the zero-sugar, electrolyte-rich powder that you can easily consume before your training sessions, or anytime you feel your body starting to drag.
Why choose LMNT?
LMNT focuses on replenishing the valuable minerals that your body actually needs to perform at a high level, while NOT filling you with unwanted (and unneeded) sugar. The vast majority of people get plenty of calories in their diet and don’t need to slurp down a 16 oz bottle of high-fructose corn syrup. The image below tells you everything you need to know about the value of LMNT vs popular sports drinks.
Get your LMNT packets at Straight Blast Gym Atlanta and enhance your training efforts AND training results, one glass of water at a time.
