Everybody loves repeating the statistic about 60% of our bodies being water, but it seems that this doesn't resonate enough to motivate people to mind their hydration habits. On average, a person should go through anywhere from 3 to 4 (a gallon or a little bit less) liters of water per day, especially when living in a hot environment like the middle east. Water is essential for the proper function of a body because it is essential for:
- facilitating digestion
- transporting oxygen in the body
-  regulating body temperature
- lubricating joints
- filter and eliminate waste through the kidneys

Gauging hydration levels can be easily made by looking at the color of urine, which should be clear and slightly yellow. However, there is such a thing as drinking too much water, which is shown when urine is completely clear. 

When doing a physical activity it is much easier to make evident the need for water and we do go thirsty, but when trying to do it consciously throughout a normal day it can feel like  chore. The best way to make it a habit is getting a reusable water bottle and filling it throughout the day and remind yourself to drink from it periodically. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you every 45 minutes or so. If you want, you can even make your drinks even nicer by adding frozen lemon wedges, cucumber, mint, or different herbs to lightly infuse your water to make it a bit more interesting. It is recommended you stick to water of these light infusions, though, since sugary drinks will make you thirstier and add unnecessary calories in your diet.

When it comes to exercising, though. Hydration needs a little bit of more attention. Training with as little as a 2% weight loss due to water loss can impair cognitive function, physical performance, and recovery in noticeable levels.This will impact your results whether you're looking for a PB in a race ori you want to get the most out of a training session. 

A whole industry of hydration has been created around the need for athletes tl stay well hydrated. The story goes that Gatorade was born when the Florida Gators US college football team started showing a marked edge over their rivals after one of the team's staff (and biochemist) designed a drink to help the guys retain electrolytes better during their game sin the Florida heat (hence the name Gatorade). However, just like anything, the need to sell more and development of the business sometimes can trump the original intention and focus is lost. We are told we need to drink isotonic (some people call them energy drinks, but don't confuse them with Red Bull) beverages all the time when we're exercising. This is far from the truth, our bodies are made to regulate its functions well enough with electrolytes when good nutrition is present, at least to a certain extent. Dr. Tim Noakes points this out in his book "Waterlogged", where he explores how the human body uses water and debunks some of the shaky claims from companies who live out of of selling these special drinks. If you don't feel like reading the book, he explains his studies in this interesting Ben Greenfield Fitness episode. 

So which information should you believe? The truth is that most studies are made on both sides with seasoned or professional athletes, and the growth of endurance sports among the population makes it hard to ensure that everybody will react he way these studies predict one way or the other. No, you don't need to drink Gatorade for every single training session, but it is also true that a now average age-grouper who hasn't really adapted his or her body to  work as efficiently as possible will also need some assistance with electrolytes after some time of exercising. The following chart shows a good rule of thumb on hydration for most athletes:












You must consult your coach or a nutritionist about proper timings and how to manage nutrition with hydration, though, since a lot of isotonic drinks also have calories and fructose in them and it will affect which foods and how much you can have during competition, but a good rule of thumb is drinking isotonic every 20min-30min and switching to water when having foods or gels.

It is also true that there is a condition called hypernatremia which is triggered by having too much water during a competition, and it can lead to brain inflammation and even death. So it is important to not overdo hydration. This is hard to do, but it does happen. 

Understanding we are all to certain extent individual little snowflakes (sorry Mr. Durden) and everyone's body has different requirements is essential to ensure a good performance, prevent injury, and aid recovery. Some good ways to identify what your needs may be are:

1) Getting a sweat test: This will give you an exact and precise report of your individual electrolyte loss and will allow for very precise planning. Most places which carry this study will also have their own electrolyte formulas for athletes to use according to their profile. Here in Dubai we go with Steve Cronin, who's contact is in the beginning of the newsletter, or click here to contact him

2) Check out the Portman Calculator: Which will tell you how much fluid and food you need for your training and competition. It has a profile for triathlon in all distances as well as a couple of other sports. It is a useful tool but it is not as personalized and it doesn't show the splits and timings for the drinks or food

Remember that your body needs water to carry out all the processes to keep you healthy and recover from training. Make sure to keep an eye on the habit of drinking water throughout the day and make a responsible plan for your races and training sessions. 

If you need help with more detail in this subject, remember you can contact me at omar@gostrong.me and I'm always happy to help. 

Have a great week!

OM

The way we start our day very often sets the tone for the rest of our day. Please all try to start your day in a positive way by following these simple steps:

1) Begin your day by saying 3 positive affirmations. Say them out loud, in your head, sing them, shout them until you BELIEVE them. If you don't believe in yourself how can you expect anyone else to!?!?

2) Jump out of bed and do a booty wiggle and remind yourself how ABSOLUTELY AWESOME life is

3) Drink a glass of water with fresh lemon squeezed into it. Lemon water has some pretty impressive health benefits:
- gives your immune system a boost
- excellent source of potassium good for heart health, brain and nerve function
- cleanses your system
- aids digestion
- aids weight loss, lemons contain pectin fibre which assists in fighting hunger cravings
- reduces inflammation
- Lemon juice provides your body with energy when it enters your digestive tract, and it also helps reduce anxiety and depression. (Even the scent of lemons has a calming effect on your nervous system!)
 
Coach SJ x

I have participated in many sports and athletic competitions; and I have come to love the mechanics of all sports.

I will keep it simple but provide the principles of how Osteopathy can help with Sports injuries and their management. 

My background is in Kinesiology and Osteopathy. Studying bachelors of Science majoring in Kinesiology and Masters in Osteopathy.  This allows me to treat and manage a wide variety of sports injuries. 

Many athletes and coaches have not considered Osteopathy for treatment of sports injuries as it is not the first approach to come to mind.  The Osteopathic approach to sports injuries follows the principles of osteopathy; by looking at the body as a whole, one unit of function.

The first approach is to understand the balance and mechanics of the athlete that is coming in with an injury or the athlete that has an upcoming sports season. To begin I will go over the understanding of mechanics of the athlete who is not injured but has an upcoming sports season.

Osteopathically the assessment is based on ensuring the athlete is mechanically ready for the sport they are going to participate in. Everything should move relatively smooth good muscle balance and joint ranges.  We will look for imbalances in the musculoskeletal system, general movements and sport specific movements.  The goal of this assessment is to locate any mechanical or muscular dysfunction that can make the athlete vulnerable to an injury.  The most obvious injuries are ones that occur due to a direct trauma to an area of the body; but there are also many injuries that occur due to playing the sport with abnormal mechanics which creates sprain and strain to tissues/joints. 

If for example there is an imbalance in the athlete’s pelvic/hip movements. This will change how the muscles respond to those same movements as well as how joints above and below the pelvis absorb force.   The knee or ankle will adapt a change in its motion as well as the associated muscles and ligaments. These changes may be minute, but will have a great effect on muscle tone, ligament laxity or tension and more. This principle is the same for the spine and shoulder as the pelvis is a major contributor to the mechanical movement of the rest of the body. Remember nothing in the body moves in isolation, one unit of function.   With these imbalances if untreated and unmanaged, the athlete will go into the season at risk of sprain and strain injuries.   The treatment for this is Manual Osteopathic Therapy; to correct these mechanical imbalances, corrective exercise to maintain and strengthen muscles, as well as self-treatment exercises and stretches.

The treatment of injured athletes is very similar to what was described above. There may be further imbalances in the body due to compensation form the injury depending on how long the athlete has gone without rehabilitation.  The osteopath will find and correct any changes from normal, help with pain and restriction of the injured area, and prescribe home exercises for rehabilitation.

Youssef Youssef

I’m an Eggplant (Aubergine, if you swing that way) convert. It’s a hardy vegetable and works great as a meat replacement for Meatless Mondays. The vegetable does a good job of soaking up the flavor of whatever you cook it with, while keeping its own mild earthy flavor as a compliment.

For this dish, we are talking:
Basil – King of the herbs.
Tomato – Did anyone ever go wrong with Basil & Tomato? No.
Olive oil – Make sure you use the good stuff, Organic, Cold-Pressed, Italian.
Cheese – A mix of fresh mozzarella and cream cheese. Need I say more?

It’s simply delicious. Low in calories. Vegetarian. Good for you. Okay bye.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large Eggplant (cut into 1/4-inch slices)
• * ½ cup soft cheese + ¼ cup fresh mozzarella
• * 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 2 tablespoons, olive oil
• Salt & Black Pepper