Drink To Win

With the recent focus on Olympic athletes, you may be giving some consideration to your own fitness performance. Not only is eating important to your overall athletic performance, but drinking is also.

During just one hour of moderate to strenuous exercise, you can easily sweat away more than a quart of water, especially in hot weather - and this can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can impair your performance in a number of ways: it leads to lethargy, nausea, cramps and even heat exhaustion. What fluid should you drink before, during and after workouts to stay hydrated? Plain water is usually fine, though special sports drinks, or diluted fruit juice, which both contain small amounts of sugar and sodium, may be preferable during endurance type exercises such as running, cycling and roller blading.

For optimal performance, follow these hydration tips:

• Drink non-caffeinated fluids throughout the day, evenif you don't feel thirsty.

• When preparing for strenuous exercise, drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of fluid two hours before exercising and another 8 ounces 15 to 30 minutes before.

• While exercising, sip 4 to 6 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes.

• If you're training for an event, be sure to drink enough fluid to replace the fluid you've lost during your workout. Weigh yourself before and after your workout and drink one pint of fluid for each pound lost.