The professor. Alessandro Zanasi of the Sanpellegrino Observatory explains why hydration is essential when practicing sport, especially in winter when the stimulus of thirst is weaker
The XXIII opens today in South Korea (at Pyeongchang) Winter Olympic Games. Two weeks in which the best athletes from all over the world will compete in a series of disciplines including skiing, skating, curling, hockey, freestyle and snowboarding, just to mention the main competitions in progress. Talent, concentration and training are the basis of the exciting competitions that we will follow in the coming weeks but there is another "secret" that helps to keep the performance of the athletes high.
Both professionals and those who do physical activity by passion know that "Sport" rhymes with "water" and that when you sweat it is necessary to integrate the lost fluids. An action that is not obvious in winter: when the temperatures drop, and especially on the ski slopes - one of the most widespread winter sports - there is a tendency to drink a little and there is a widespread habit of refueling with alcoholic beverages. Nothing could be more wrong: the alcohol in fact inhibits the functioning of the antidiuretic hormone, increasing the flow of urine and therefore, the amount of fluid expelled from the body. In addition, high altitude further increases the amount of fluids lost through the acceleration of breathing to adapt to low oxygen levels.
Hydration during the sports practice in the winter period it is therefore essential to restore the body's water balance but also because at this time of the year the stimulus of thirst is felt less. With the lowering of temperature veins and arteries are contracted and this leads to a reduction of blood circulation in the peripheral and external areas. For this reason the signal does not arrive to the brain that warns us that it is time to drink. We must therefore pay the utmost attention to hydration drinking before, during and after physical activity without waiting for the stimulation of thirst. Moderate levels of dehydration can in fact induce a reduction in blood pressure, thus subjecting the heart to an extra work load. Particularly detrimental situation for sportsmen.
Proper hydration is therefore essential for preserve psycho-physical integrity and improve performance. "When practicing a sport it is necessary to take into account that with the sweat you do not lose only liquids but also mineral salts, about 1,5g every liter. - explains the doctorAlessandro Zanasi, expert of the Sanpellegrino Observatory and professor at the University of Bologna - For a quick water replenishment it is good to drink water with a low saline content because it can be assimilated in very fast times. Drinking before, during and after the practice of a sport is essential to improve performance and even prevent muscle cramps".
Instead, at the end of a physical activity: "it is good to choose mineral waters with a higher fixed residue - the expert continues - that allow the restoration of the levels of mineral salts inside the organism ". The amount of water required varies with the sport practiced, its duration and climatic conditions: ranging from 1 liter and a half to 3 per day.
"In addition to proper hydration, - concludes Zanasi - it is good practice to also follow a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables in season, which helps, especially after training, to restore the mineral salts and proteins lost".
Sanpellegrino is the leading company in the beverage sector in Italy, with mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs, cold drinks and teas. Its products, a synthesis of well-being, health and balance, are present in 150 Countries through branches and distributors spread across the five continents.
Sanpellegrino, as a producer of mineral water, has always been committed to the enhancement of this primary asset for the Planet and works with responsibility and passion to guarantee a quality future for this resource. A commitment that also passes through the promotion of the importance of proper hydration: Sanpellegrino in fact supports and disseminates the principles of psycho-physical well-being linked to the correct consumption of water, becoming the spokesperson for "hydration education" through a program that promotes daily consumption of the correct amount of water, according to different needs and lifestyles.