HYDRATION FOR DANCERS! How much water do we really need?
Thirsty ?
Its too late!
Did you know the first signs of dehydration are fatigue and poor balance?
Dancers understand that they have a requirement of carbohydrate for energy but tend to forget about one of the most vital dietary requirements…..water!
Water is one of the most important nutrients required by the human body. In fact, 50-70% of our bodies are made up of water. Being well hydrated will keep your body from overheating and importantly improves performance and recovery and keeps your body operating at peak levels!
It is quite common for dancers to have a poor level of water intake and instead, rely on caffeine containing diet drinks and coffee. Drinks containing caffeine actually deplete our bodies of fluids as the caffeine acts as a diuretic. Highly concentrated drinks, such as soft drinks, cordials and flavoured mineral waters, take longer to leave the stomach slowing down your hydration and they are also higher in empty kilojoules.
About 20% of your fluid intake will come from foods like fruits and vegetables but around 80% should come from drinking . Juices, sports drinks coffee and tea all go towards this percentage but you should really be aiming to drink water
To maintain hydration, it is advisable to 'sip' small amounts of fluid often. The reason for this is that large volumes of fluid can leave you feeling bloated and squelchy plus you cant stop the performance for a toilet break! . Dancers should aim to sip between 15- 30 mL every 20 mins or so. Keep your water bottle handy and try to drink about 2000ml-3500mls a day, even more if you dance in a hot humid climate! On stage ,in performance, under hot lights and wearing heavy costumes sweat loss can be even more significant so its important to get into a habit of sipping during a show as well as in rehearsal.
Keep an eye out for these symptoms
- Tiredness and lethargy
- Decreased performance
- Cramping
- Fatigue
- Head ache
- Nausea and vomiting
If you are feeling this way you will need to rest and rehydrate slowly.
Don't try to keep dancing as you will most likely injury yourself or worse!
You may already know that at Dance Essential we are committed to fuelling dancers with the best possible nutrients and the latest cutting edge information. With this in mind we have taken on Dancer Hydration as our next BIG THING!!! We believe we are close to having the most perfect formula for Hydration AND muscle recovery. What we would really love is your feedback! What do you look for in a drink . Does the flavour make you more inclined to drink more ? Is the look of the liquid important to you ? Tell us what you want in a product that will be created based on your feedback , because its specifically for Dancers! and that is YOU!!
Thats what we do ;)
