Hydration is the Hidden Edge for Student Athletes

Sep 14

Why water is the game-day weapon most athletes forget to train with

When you think about what makes an athlete successful, your mind probably goes straight to hours in the gym, strict diets, or mental toughness. But there is one factor that often gets overlooked—even though it can make or break your performance on game day: water.

Hydration is not just about thirst. It keeps your body primed to perform at its best. Science is clear: when athletes do not get enough fluids, everything from reaction time to endurance suffers. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, even mild dehydration affects mood, concentration, and muscle function, which can be the difference between winning and losing (Johns Hopkins Medicine).

Why Water Matters More Than You Think

During practice or competition, athletes can sweat out two to three quarts of water every hour. Along with that water go electrolytes—like sodium and potassium—that regulate nerve function and muscle contractions. If those are not replaced, you are basically asking your body to sprint on a drained battery (Mass General Brigham).

Dehydration also thickens your blood, forcing your heart to work harder to move oxygen to your muscles. And because water plays a major role in cooling the body, dehydration increases your risk of overheating, cramps, or even heat stroke (Advanced Ortho & Sports Medicine).

It does not stop at the physical level. Research shows that when you are dehydrated, you make slower decisions and struggle with reaction time. In fast-paced sports like basketball or soccer, that half-second delay could cost you a point—or the game.

Game Plan: Hydrate Before, During, and After

The key is not waiting until you are thirsty. Thirst is a late signal that you are already behind. Here is a student-athlete-friendly breakdown based on recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and Mass General Brigham:

• Before practice or competition: Drink 17–20 ounces of water a few hours before, then another eight ounces about 20 minutes before warmups. Think of it like filling your gas tank before a long drive.

• During play: Aim for four to eight ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. In hot weather, that number should go up. If practice or games last longer than 45 minutes, or if you sweat heavily, grab a sports drink to replace lost electrolytes.

• After you finish: Replace what you lost. A simple rule is 16–24 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight you dropped during the workout. Weighing yourself before and after practice makes this easy.

Checking Your Status

You do not need fancy equipment to know if you are hydrated. One of the easiest checks is urine color. Pale yellow, like lemonade, means you are in a good spot. Dark yellow or amber? Time to drink up.

Another method: step on the scale before and after practice. If you are down more than two percent of your body weight, you did not hydrate enough (University of Kansas Health System).

Avoiding the Other Extreme

While most student athletes worry about not drinking enough, there is also a danger in drinking too much water without replacing electrolytes. This can cause hyponatremia, a dangerous drop in blood sodium levels. Symptoms range from nausea to confusion, and in rare cases, it can be fatal. That is why balance—water plus electrolytes when needed—is key (Wikipedia).

How the Pros Do It

Even elite athletes do not leave hydration to chance. Sports nutritionists working with NBA teams recommend taking in most fluids earlier in the day—before four p.m.—to avoid sleep disruptions. They also suggest tracking hydration by how many calories you burn: one to one and a half milliliters of fluid per calorie. And do not forget, hydration does not just come from water—foods like fruit, smoothies, and even coffee count toward your daily intake (Business Insider).

Why It Should Matter to You

For student athletes, life is already a grind—balancing classes, practices, games, and sometimes jobs. The last thing you need is your performance dropping because of something preventable. Hydration is not glamorous, but it is one of the simplest ways to stay healthy, strong, and sharp.

By treating water as part of your training—not an afterthought—you give yourself a competitive edge. Drink before you are thirsty, check your hydration status, and remember that hydration is just as important as practice, nutrition, and rest.

Bottom line: Water is fuel. For athletes chasing personal records, playoff runs, or simply the satisfaction of giving it all on the field, it is the fuel you cannot afford to skip. Therefore, do not forget—stay hydrated. Let’s go, Tigers!

References

Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine. Hydration for athletes.

https://www.advancedorthosports.com

Business Insider. Why elite athletes curb water intake after 4 p.m.

https://www.businessinsider.com

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Sports and hydration for athletes. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Kansas Health System. Hydration for sports performance. https://www.kansashealthsystem.com

Mass General Brigham. Tips for staying hydrated. https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org

National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Hydration guidelines. https://www.nata.org

SwimSwam. Pacific adds men’s cross country as the 8th men’s athletic program

https://www.swimswam.com

University of the Pacific Newsroom. Pacific Athletics expands to 19 varsity programs.

https://www.pacific.edu/newsroom

Wikipedia. Exercise-associated hyponatremia. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org