This is second series of Easy ways to optimize fluid intake and improve performance from other blog.
Pre-loading
The key point remains, however , that competitive athletes find it extremely difficult to replace fluid at an adequate rate during intense exercise. This leads to the second option-that of pre loading. Most authorities extol the virtues of drinking prior to exercise, and steering clear of diuretic drinks, such a coffee, tea, alcohol, etc. the body is very clever piece of machinery that, in normal conditions, maintains a natural balance. Thus purely drinking extra water prior to exercise merely increases the rate of urine output.
One major benefit of pre-event hydration, is that having some fluid in the gastric system appears to facilities absorption. The virtues of carbo-loading as a means of boosting energy stores prior to an event have been fairly well documented. A similar but less well known technique is available for boosting hydration level.
In the late 1980s the University of New Mexico undertook a number of studies to show that is was possible to increase the body’s ability to hold fluid with the ingestion of glycerol. The benefits of this are clear. By increasing the total body water prior to exercise, the effect of sweat loss during exercise are maintained, the core body temperature is stabilized for longer, as is the balance of electrolytes. All of this allows performance level to be maintained for longer periods. The New Mexico Study showed a reduced urine volume of approximately 50% in exercise lsting 2,5 to 4,5 hours-the typical finishing times in marathon. They also proved a 60% increase in retained water and lower core temperatures. The latter was associated with higher rates of sweat loss. Similar results have been seen of American college of sports medicine and the john stuart research labs in Illinois.
Out of that research there has been a move to put glycerol onto the market for sportspeople. Maximuscle have developed maxerol. This is a pharmaceutical quality glycerol designed to simplify the fluid and carbohydrate loading procedures. It mixes easily with water or your favourite carbohydrate drink to ensure easy absorption.
To some extent the benefits of fluid loading have been with us since the adoption of carbo-loading protocols. When storing extra carbohydrate (stored as glycogen) in the muscle it is necessary to increase the amount of water absorbed. Each gram of glycogen, requires 3 grams, (ml) of fluid to be stored. This effect explains the increase in weight that athlete detect in the final days of carbo-loading prior to an event. Thus a 65kg runner, who takes about 600grams of carbohydrate a day to ensure a full energy store, will experience an increase In weight of about 1-1,5 kg over normal levels. This comes from water bound into the glycogen. The difference with glycerol is that the fluid is pulled into the spaces between the cells, thus packing even more fluid into the body. For this reason there is less of the bloating effect associated with carbo-loading. There will however still be an increase in weight.
Carb and glycerol
Although there seems to have been little published on the combined effect, there is reason to believe that the combination of carbo and glycerol loading will provide the highest gains.
Whereas carbo loading commences between 7 and 3 days prior to the event, glycerol loading is undertaken in the hours before the event. Thus when combined with a suitable carbohydrate drink, it offers the opportunity to do a final top up of the energy stores. The glycerol loading protocol varies from athlete to athlete, but using the following will provide a good starting point for developing your own preference.
Mix a 20% solution of glycerol and water, for carbohydrate drink. This mean that you will mix 20ml,(grams), of glycerol with 100ml of fluid. In all you will need between 500 and 800ml of solution.
- 2,5 hours prior to the event drink 5ml of the maxerol solution for every kilogram of body weight. So a 60kg athlete needs 300ml, a 70 kg runner needs 350ml, etc.
- With two hours to go, drink 5ml of water (or carbohydrate drink) per kilogram of body weight. For 60 kg athlete that’s 300ml of water.
- A further 15 minutes later, (1¾ hours before the event), repeat with another 5 ml of water per kilogram of body weight.
- With 90 minutes before the start, go back to the maxerol solution and drink 1 ml per kilogram of body weight. (another 60ml of glycerol/water for the 60kg athlete).
- As the last hour approach drink another 5 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. (another 300ml for the 60kg athlete).
In all, the 60kg athlete will have taken 1,26 litre of fluid in the 90 minutes of loading. If carried out with a 10% carbohydrate solution this will also have added just over another 100gram of glycogen to the energy stores.
Whilst this is primarily a pre-event procedure, it is possible to use maxerol in longer event. In such cases, try taking the 1 ml of the 20% solution per kilogram of body weight every 30 minutes. This continued use during an event has been evolved more by experience rather than research and may require adjustment as you gain confidence in it. This intake is of course, in addition to your normal event drinking protocol.
by norrie Williamson
