What could be the difference between an finishing strong and an crawling to the finish line? One word … water. That’s right … water will wash away points on the scorecard.
Today I will take you inside the human body and will teach you what I teach my professional golfers … how to hydrate for health, big wins and millions of dollars. Now you can do it too.
Let’s start with the science scorecard…
80% of the human body is made up of water. Water supercharges nutrients and trashes toxins. It’s a simple equation … insufficient water intake leads to dehydration which leads to problems for you. And the human body is much more sensitive than you would think to even the slightest drop in water. That’s why in the ER we measure dehydration by percentage. Up 5% dehydration would land you in the ER on IV. 10% buys you a night in the intensive care unit!
Now that’s the extreme … but what you need to know as a golfer is that even .05 percent dehydration can mean the difference between an eagle on par 5 and catching some Zs on the golf cart.
You body is just that sensitive… and it is also a sly communicator. Most people only think to drink water when they feel thirsty. But, here’s the reality … by the time you feel thirsty you are just one step away from the ER.
So, if thirst is not the telltale sign of dehydration, what is? I’m going to give you the three sneaky signs that should send you straight for your water bottle. And take note … all of these signs come BEFORE thirst. Take this seriously or you may end up like several top players at Tiger’s event last year. They missed the signs and ended up in the ER with an IV. Not fun.
THREE SNEAKY SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION
- The first sign of dehydration is fatigue. You notice a sudden feeling of the tiredness that wasn’t there when you 1st teed off.
- Are your playing partners avoiding you? Is your putter in the bottom of the lake or did you just snap your driver? If you find yourself getting irritated by small things, that could be your body screaming for water.
- Is your head hurting? The first line of defense for a headache should be water.
Remember, all of those three signs come before thirst! So now that you know the signs, what do you do about it?
DR ARA’S PRESCRIPTION:
- My first choice for hydration is always water. Bonus points if you add a handful of peanuts – the salt will pump you up with electrolytes. The peanuts also give you a quick shot of B12 that will kick the fatigue to the curb.
- Folks, I am a realist. I know that not all of you will drink water. Many of you crave the sports drinks on the cart … and that’s ok. But if you do that, please drink half water, half sports drink. That way you cut the high sugar in sports drinks but still get the great taste and the electrolytes.
- And what’s up with the Amino Vital or Noon tablets that you see the pros pour into their water? These are also a great option to up your game. You can buy them at most health food stores … think of them like the Jaguar of electrolytes
Now you know what … let’s talk about how much and when…
If you are one of my players, you have me following you round after round collecting urine samples to test in a lab. That’s how I tell them exactly how much to drink. Cool, huh?
But for most of us there is a simple rule of thumb…
DEHYDRATION BUSTING FORMULA
Drink half your body weight. For example if you weigh 200 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water for every 18 holes.
I know, it feels like a lot, right? I know it’s going to be hard to remember, so let me give you another insider’s tip. Here’s what the pros do. Before every game, their trainers mark their scorecards with “water reminders” every 4 or 5 holes. Then they know they need to be drinking approximately 20 to 25 ounces every four or five holes. That’s what you should do too!
Who knew keeping hydrated could be so easy? Now you know … so tell your partners and share this blog with your friends. Make the commitment today to keep yourself hydrated today … and then watch this simple solution shave points off your score.
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