June 9, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Feeling and playing your best during a round of golf is important when your goal is to perform at your peak. Weather it’s in a frosty, early morning round, or at high-noon in direct sunlight, or perhaps an after-work, early evening tee time, feeling and playing good are connected.
What is the best way to stay refreshed, hydrated and nourished while engaging in a round? During a recently conducted study it was found that when we start to sweat during physical activity, hydrations levels in our bodies is reduced. Important to note is that should these levels drop by just a minuscule 2%, our strength, muscle speed, coordination and the ability to make clear decisions are also impacted.
In golf, each of these functions are needed during a round of play, rather for leisure or competition. And, did you know that these particular functions make up 95% of the game? In this case, one can see why it is very crucial to keep your body well hydrated when playing, especially during those hot, summer days.
Have you ever been in the situation of finding yourself playing a great round, ten, somewhere between the 14th and 18th hole, noticing that you are becoming sluggish and not as focused? This could most likely be due to the amount of fluids that you are loosing through perspiration.
Then, comes the question of how much, should you be consuming during your round of golf? Well, let’s take a look.
What hydration works best?
Experts say that water is the most important thing you should be consuming during your round. They recommend that a golfer should consume between 8-16oz of water before the start of a round, then 4-8oz every 15-30 minutes while on the course.
Certainly, some golfers will perspire more, or less, than others and need to consume water with that in mind, altering their intake accordingly.
When water is consumed during activity the blood becomes easier to transport it to the areas of the body which are most in need of it. If you are dehydrated, your blood is thicker and nutrients move through it slower which will increase your heart rate. This is definitely some that you do not want to happen while you are playing golf, or any activity.
So, be sure to check with your doctor and prepare for your golfing rounds by intaking water before, during and after you hit those greens.
