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Hydration, Food and Winter Sports
sports first aid
Hydration, Food and Winter Sports
posted on: January 4th, 2012
Never mind eating for two, eating to keep your body at an optimum level throughout winter activity is an essential part of the U.K’s cold weather sports calendar. As
sports First Aid specialists, we know the importance of both great First Aid for sports AND a good diet.
The chilly U.K winter brings unique challenges for sports enthusiasts. Exercising in cold weather can feel like a troublesome dichotomy of being too cold/too hot, fully energised/knackered or performing well/failing dismally!
The right nutritional balance can help you perform better in all weather, staying energised and safe throughout the year. A sensible eating plan can help regulate core temperature, providing fuel and warmth.
A huge part of winter exercise is staying hydrated. In warmer weather we rely on the freedom to sweat to release excess heat, but in cold weather we need to a) generate more heat to stay warm, and b) be able to lose heat when we need to without stripping to a vest!
In cold weather your temperature drops and metabolism increases to provide extra heat. As you breathe in the dry wintery air, your body loses more moisture because it has to humidify the inhaled air. Ultimately, one of the best nutritional steps you can take is to up your liquid intake in cold weather to combat the effects of dehydration and boost performance.
Training cones and training poles can help clearly identify exercise markers throughout the winter, making the environment we exercise in as safe and effective as the diet we follow.