I am surprised by how very few athletes weigh themselves before and after a race. Recovery wise, it’s so important to understand your start and finish weight so then you are able to determine how much body fluid weight you have lost and then need to replace. Through research we know that, you need to replace 125-150% of the fluid you lose during a race to ensure your recovery is as optimal as possible. This is even more important when it comes to multi day races and competitions. Refer to this link:
https://www.pro4mance.com.au/endurance-lab/sports-nutrition/
to find out the correct method of measuring your before and after weight to determine the amount of fluid you have lost and how to correctly replace it to optimise your body’s post race hydration levels. Remember, replacing fluid with straight water can create a negative affect through osmosis and actually reduce your body’s electrolyte stores. This happens when electrolytes are not replaced causing the body to move electrolytes out of your body and into your intestinal tract to try to balance the electrolyte levels between your body and your intestines. For this reason we always recommend rehydrating with an electrolyte drink (such as Prodrate) or a carbohydrate electrolyte drink (Procover) depending on your caloric requirements, to ensure optimal electrolyte and hydration balance.
Cheers,
Andrew
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