The dehydration factor athletes often miss.
Most of us think of dehydration as a summer problem - but winter training brings some very unique considerations.
Whether you’re training indoors for basketball, volleyball or hockey, or outdoors running, skiing, skating or snowboarding - winter brings some challenges to hydration.
So what goes on:
Cold weather blunts thirst. Your brain doesn’t always send the same thirst signals in cold temperatures, so you may be losing fluids without feeling particularly thirsty.
Cold air is incredibly dry. Every breath you take in cold, dry air needs to be warmed and humidified by your respiratory tract. That means you lose moisture with every exhale. The harder you breathe during training, the greater those losses can become.
Indoor air quality is its own topic! Suffice it to say heated indoor environments often have low relative humidity. Add intense exercise, heavy breathing and sweating and athletes can lose significant fluids without noticing.
Your respiratory tract takes a hit. Breathing large volumes of cold, dry air can dry out the airways and irritate respiratory passages, particularly during intense outdoor exercise. We all know that feeling. You know that burning sensation?
Even mild dehydration matters. It affects endurance concentration (think court IQ), perceived effort, temperature regulation and athletic performance.
So…just because you’re not sweating buckets or feeling thirsty doesn’t mean you’re adequately hydrated.
Winter athletes need to hydrate just as intentionally as summer athletes - sometimes even more strategically!
Lung botanicals can be a game changer for winter training!