Hydration on the
Course
Robert Yang
“Stay
hydrated” is a common phrase you often hear from playing sports and on the golf
course. Optimal hydration can improve
your golf game mentally and physically.
Since the brain is made up of 85% of water and is water inefficient, it
has top priority in regards to blood circulation. Drinking the correct amount of water will
ensure optimal blood flow to the brain which will enable you to focus on the
golf course.
The human body is composed of 25%
solid matter (solute) and 75% water (solvent). For instance, the nucleus
pulposus of an intervertebral disc is composed mostly of water. The majority of
the weight of the upper body is supported by this water volume in the disc;
therefore proper hydration can be a preventative measure against low back pain.
Water also acts as a lubricating agent for joints which can relieve pain from
chronic joint pathologies.
Now that you know the importance of
proper hydration, the amount of water consumed per day is critical to reach this
goal. Some people say “drink lots of
water”. But what is a lot of water? Other say “drink 8 glasses of water per
day.” This is not an accurate way to
determine the amount of water to drink each day. For example if a female golfer weighs 100 pounds.
8 glasses of water may cause over hydration.
On the other hand if a male golfer weighs 200 pounds, 8 glasses of water
falls far below the correct amount of water.
The optimal amount of water to
drink is ½ your body weight (pounds) in ounces per day. For example, a 200 lb. person will need to
drink 100 ounces of water per day. A key
point to remember is that other fluids do not count toward your goal of ½ your
bodyweight in ounces. Those fluids
include: coffee, tea, juices, soda, milk, sports drinks, and flavored water. In
fact, other fluids like sports drinks and juices can actually dehydrate the
body because it takes water to actually dilute these high sugar drinks before
it is assimilated in the body.
Timing of water consumption is important to optimal
hydration. Drinking water first thing in the morning is critical because during
sleep the body becomes dehydrated.
Therefore drinking water first thing in the morning is the first step to
optimal hydration. Start with 25% of
your total water intake in the morning.
If your water intake for the day is 100 ounces, you would consume 25
ounces in the morning. During a golf
round you should consume 40% - 50% of your total daily intake of water. If your water intake for the day is 100
ounces, you would consume 40-50 ounces of water on the golf course. The remaining water should be consumed
throughout the day.
The type of water you drink is important to achieving
optimal hydration. 80% of bottled waters
are filtered tap waters. Choose a
bottled water that has approximately 200-300 parts per million (mg/L) of
dissolved solids. This ensures a proper
amount of dissolved solids in the water to maintain proper hydration. High quality water sources include
Celtic Sea Salt is an organic, unrefined sea salt that has
over 80 trace minerals that will help replenish the body with
electrolytes. Not only does it replenish
the electrolytes in the body, it is a great way to prevent muscle cramps.
Another great benefit of using Celtic Sea Salt is the reduction of allergic
tendencies. I have had great results
with golfers that have allergic symptoms due to pollen and grass. Many have reported reduced symptoms of
allergic reactions with the proper amount of water and the addition of Celtic
Sea Salt. Please do not consume regular
salt in the place of Celtic Sea Salt.
Regular salt is just sodium chloride which can be quite toxic when
consumed on its own without the other trace minerals.
Drinking the proper amount and correct type of water may
be the missing link to improving your golf game mentally and physically. So,
here’s drinking to your golf game and health.
Click here for Robert's article "Food Bars on the Course"
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Robert Yang, co-founder of The Pure
Performance Clinic in Encinitas, California, specializes in nutrition, nutritional
supplementation, strength and conditioning, corrective exercise, and lifestyle coaching. His integrative and individualized programs have
helped athletes and individuals improve performance, increase recovery
capabilities, prevent injuries, and improve health and vitality.
Robert is
also a nutrition consultant to the Titleist Performance Institute in
