While sports provides physical and spiritual satisfaction to the individual, it is also important in making the right use of free time and protecting health. As in many sports, individuals engage in swimming either amateurishly or professionally. There are some factors that affect the performance of professional swimming athletes. Among these factors; age, genetic structure, physical condition and nutritional status (1).
FLUID INTAKE IN SWIMMERS
Nowadays, while the interest in sports is increasing, sports have become widespread with the adoption of large masses and, accordingly, Sports nutrition and fluid intake have also become one of the important issues. Because they think they are surrounded by water, many swimmers do not pay any attention to their fluid intake during training or competitions. However, environmental conditions such as hot pool water, high ambient temperature, and high humidity cause dehydration in swimmers to begin in as little as 30 minutes. This negatively affects the training efficiency of swimmers. Although this is seen as approximately 0.3 lt/hour in athletes who do high-intensity exercise other than swimming, the amount of fluid lost increases in swimming due to the effect of ambient temperature and humidity. Therefore, swimmers have a higher risk of dehydration. The most important electrolytes in keeping body fluids in balance are Na+, Cl and K+. Fluid loss also brings about Na+, Cl and K changes in the body. When there are not enough electrolytes in the body, symptoms of deficiency, including muscle cramps, weakness and apathy, may be observed.
The weight change due to post-training fluid loss in swimmers, in which 31 swimmers participated, increased sodium (Na+), potassium (K+) and chlorine (Cl) in the blood. - In a study aiming to reveal the effect on ) levels, it was observed that with a long-term and intense interval training program in swimmers, there was a significant decrease in Na + and Cl ions and an increase in K + ions in the blood (p < 0.05). Replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is extremely important for maintaining the athlete's health and performance. With the decrease in body fluids, various physiological conditions such as decrease in performance, deterioration in thermoregulation, and inability to tolerate heat occur. It goes to . In order to prevent and correct these situations, athletes need to take care to consume fluids at regular intervals throughout the day and create a special fluid intake plan for themselves
Öcal Kaplan, D , Öcal, D . (2018). Investigation of the Effect of Dehydration Caused by Training on Blood Parameters in Swimmers. CBÜ Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 13 (1), 136-150.
The amount of fluid required for athletes is calculated according to the energy intake. It is recommended that the energy to liquid ratio is 1:1. For example, an athlete who consumes 4000kcal per day should drink 4000ml of fluid.
ACSM RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROPER HYDRATION
Weigh yourself before and after exercise
For every 0.5 kg loss after exercise. Consume 2 glasses of fluid
Do not limit fluid consumption before and during the competition
Drink at least 1-2 glasses of fluid (240-480cc) before training or competition
After exercise Drink at least 120-240cc of liquid just before
During training and competition, consume 120-240cc of liquid with 15-20 minute intervals
Drink 240-480cc of liquid after exercise
Consume at least 240cc of liquid between meals
Drinks that compensate for fluid loss should contain 58-120mg sodium/240cc
Drinks that compensate for fluid loss should contain 6-8% carbohydrates.
*During long training sessions and races, water alone is not enough to replace the electrolytes lost through sweat. In these cases, it may be useful to meet the liquid electrolyte needs with isotonic sports drinks.
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