Stay hydrated - before, during and after

Whilst playing football our body creates so much heat from our working muscles that we must try to get rid of the heat by sweating, causing us to lose water. If we lose too much water then our football performance can suffer, in our mind and our body.

To ensure we maximise our potential to play football we must make sure we are drinking fluids before, during and after training and matches.

Before –

To ensure we start our game fully hydrated, we must prepare well before stepping onto the pitch. 2-3 hours prior to playing we should aim to drink 350-500ml of fluid. To check we are ready to play, we should monitor our urine colour. If our urine is clear or a pale yellow it means we are sufficiently hydrated to start playing; the darker it is means we are less hydrated which could potentially limit our performance.

During –

Whilst we are playing it is very important we try to take on fluids whenever possible: injuries, substitutions, bottles in your keepers net and of course half time are all the best opportunities to take a few mouthfuls of fluid. We should aim to drink approximately 500ml per hour in small manageable amounts, preferably consuming a sport drink to get vital energy back into the muscles and the sodium lost in sweat back into our bodies.

After –

Post match, it is critical we replace the fluids we have lost due to exercise. Monitoring our urine colour and ensuring it returns back to a clear/pale colour is a crucial part of recovery. This will help your body recover in preparation for your next training session or match.

- Lucozade Sport Science Team

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