Hydration & Performance

Why Hydration Matters (Even If You Think You Know It Already)

Staying hydrated isn’t sexy. It doesn’t get likes on Instagram. It doesn’t come with a badge of honour like hitting a deadlift PB. But if you train hard and want to actually perform well, it matters more than you probably think.

Key Points:

• Dehydration negatively affects performance more than most lifters realise

• A 2% drop in bodyweight from sweat can impair both physical and mental capacity

• Practical hydration tips include urine colour checks and weighing before/after sessions

• Optimal hydration strategies depend on session duration and intensity

The Boring Bit You Should Still Read

Look, I’m not saying you don’t know water is important. You’re all smart people.

Most of you.

But how often do you actually think about hydration when it comes to your training?

You train. You sweat. You lose fluids. Obvious, right?

If you’re a big lifter or well-conditioned, you probably sweat more than most. So if you’re walking into the gym already dehydrated, don’t be shocked when your session feels like garbage.

Mild dehydration affects:

• Blood flow to the skin

• Heat regulation

• Core temperature

• Cardiovascular strain

• How hard the session feels (RPE)

That’s a cocktail for a pretty average training day.

And we’re not even getting into the long-term health stuff.

Now, the More Interesting Stuff

Lose 2% of your body weight through sweat, and your performance will noticeably drop. Lose 5%? Work capacity drops by 30%. That’s massive. And 5% is borderline critical, by the way. Don’t go there.

Hydration affects not just physical output, but mental performance too. So if your sport requires quick thinking and reaction? Being dry makes you slow and dumb. Explains a few powerlifters I know.

How Do You Know You’re Dehydrated?

You could go high-tech and use a refractometer. But let’s be real, no one’s pissing into lab equipment mid-session.

Stick with the basics:

• Urine colour chart, pale straw is the goal

• Weigh yourself pre and post-session to estimate fluid loss

It’s not perfect, but it’ll give you a ballpark. If you’re dropping a kilo or more in a session, you need to drink more.

So, What Should You Actually Drink?

Water. Obviously.

But if you’re training for longer than an hour? Consider:

• Isotonic sports drinks

• Orange juice

Why? They contain carbs, which help performance over longer durations.

Training over three hours? You’re a lunatic, and you’ll also need electrolytes.

Practical Application & Takeaways

Start your session hydrated

• Drink during longer sessions (especially over 60 mins)

• If it tastes good, you’ll drink more. So pick something palatable

• Replace what you lose: for every 1kg of bodyweight lost in sweat, drink 1.5L of fluid over the next few hours

Pro tip: Weigh yourself a couple of times before and after training to get a rough sense of your sweat loss per session.

Final Thoughts

It’s not fancy. It’s not new. But it’s easy to forget.

Hydration matters. A lot. And if you want to perform better, feel better, and maybe even recover faster? Don’t sleep on it.

Also, dehydrated athletes show higher cortisol levels, not exactly what you want when you’re trying to get jacked.

Fun fact time:

• Water makes up 40 to 75% of your body

• 22% of your bones

• 75% of your brain

• 83% of your blood

• Up to 75% of your muscle
  

So yeah. Drink up.