Waterlogged: Dogma vs Science Regarding Hydration and Sports
Expect to be hearing a lot about Tim Noakes‘ latest book on the subject of hydration and sports. In it, Noakes tears apart much of the dogma surrounding hydration and human performance in athletics.
Joe Uhan, at Irunfar, writes a terrific review of Noakes book, Waterlogged, that is well worth reading. In his review, Uhan writes:
A new book by renowned sport medicine expert, Tim Noakes, MD, aims to change our beliefs– many of them longstanding, many of them inaccurate – on what it means to fuel optimally in endurance sports:
- Drink only to thirst, not on a schedule.
- Drinking does not prevent heat illness.
- Ingesting salt is unnecessary in ultras.
- Urine frequency or color has nothing to do with hydration or kidney function.
Say what? Them’s fightin’ words!
In Waterlogged, Noakes tries to explain the difference between what you think you know about hydration and electrolyte supplementation and the actual scientific observations related to these subjects. You should not be surprised to learn that much of the misinformation appears to be promoted by the replacement fluid industry.
This book should be mandatory reading for distance runners and medical staff at races.