There is no easy way to determine the fluid status of an athlete. The body loses fluid during exercise through sweat. In sports such as swimming and water polo, it can be even more difficult to assess the loss of body fluids because the activity is performed in water.
Poor fluid status and/or dehydration can have a major impact on performance. As little as a 2-3% loss of body weight (3 to 4.5 pounds in a 150 pound individual) through fluid loss can have adverse affects on the body’s performance. Dehydration causing greater than a 1% weight loss can significantly impair athletic performance. The amount of fluid we lose depends on the environment and on the type and intensity of exercise we are doing. One of the best indications of fluid status can be urine color. Dark urine indicates increased concentration, which means no enough fluid. By the time you are thirsty, it is too late. Your body is already becoming dehydrated.
Some facts about hydration:
- About 20% of daily water needs should come from food.
- 80% should be from fluids that we drink throughout the day.
- Urine production is generally reduced during exercise because of the kidneys’ efforts to conserve water and sodium losses through sweating. This is a good indication of inadequate fluid intake.
- For every pound you lose through fluid loss during exercise, you need to replace 80-100% of it, which equates to drinking 13-16 oz. of fluids.
- Best choices for replacing sweat loss:
- Juices that contain water, carbs, vitamins, and potassium
- Watery foods such as watermelon, grapes, and soups
- High-carbohydrate sports drinks
- Water in combination with other carbohydrate sources
Energy Drinks
Most energy drinks contain carbohydrates to provide nutrient energy and caffeine as a stimulant to the central nervous system. Energy drinks are not appropriate substitutes for fluid and body fuel. Another concern is that energy drinks do not always contain what is listed as ingredients. Many contain carbohydrate concentrations so high that they will delay rehydration during exercise. Such high concentrations may cause gastrointestinal distress; high concentrations of fructose can have a laxative effect on the body.
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Every time we eat, we make a choice. Every time we head to the gym, we make a choice.
Some of them are good choices. Some not so good. And that’s what happened this week on The Biggest Loser.
Two contestants had to spend a week away from The Biggest Loser Ranch. They had to decide between working out with their personal trainer or having the opportunity to talk to family over the phone and get a massage.
Jennifer decided she didn’t need to work out with her trainer, Brett. She and Courtney could handle their own workouts at a local gym, she said. Courtney disagreed but chose not to stand up for herself.
Not everyone needs a personal trainer to lose weight. But many of the contestants on The Biggest Loser have never exercised regularly. The show’s personal trainers – well-respected, successful professionals – teach them the science behind diet and exercise. Muscles need to be exercised a certain way to maximize building them, which burns more calories and leads to greater weight loss.
Even those who do know their way around the weight room need help learning not to overeat or how to prepare nutritious meals. Sometimes, personal trainers have to be counselors who help people unravel the emotional issues driving poor choices.
Without Brett by their side, both Jennifer and Courtney paid dearly.
Jennifer didn’t lose any pounds that week. Courtney lost two, which isn’t bad if you’re home working on your diet and exercise. But on the show, contestants regularly drop 5 to 10 pounds a week.
Jennifer was sent home.
“I learned a really big lesson,” she said after being eliminated. “You still have to rely on your trainer at this point. That was my major mistake this week.”
Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.
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Dave Roush, LPTA started with In Motion in January of 2010. He came as a buy-one-get-one from OSC, whom he had been with since 2001. His specialties in the field of Physical Therapy include the McKenzie Method and manual therapy. Before entering into PT, he was an auto mechanic-who knew?
Dave started out at our Harbour View location, but is now at our Chilled Ponds location in Greenbrier. This is very fitting because he has played ice hockey since he was 8 years old. He played up until 2009 when he changed his focus to spending time with his family. Dave has two girls, ages 2 and 4. Having two kids under the age of 5 is nearly as brutal as hockey!
His favorite movie from the last year was the Social Network. It’s funny that now he is being spotlighted on our FB-a coincidence?
Lee has this to say about Dave: “Dave is a great guy to have in the clinic. With him, you always know the patients are going to be in great hands, and he always goes the extra mile to help out patients and co-workers alike.”
Dave’s favorite part about working at In Motion is “The network of therapists available for collaboration.”
Great Job, Dave-nice to meet ya!
The ladies of Tradewinds Racing, a competitive woman’s cycling team sponsored by In Motion, have started blogging about their training at the Bon Secours In Motion clinics.
Every week they will post a blog about their experiences using In Motion’s advanced screenings and technology, like VO2 Max and lactate threshold testing, and sports performance training to help boost athletic performance. If you get the chance, check out their page and read up on what these great community athletes are up to!
Maybe you need to lose a few pounds. Maybe you need to lose more.
Do you really know your ideal weight? Is it a guess? Is it based on what you looked like in high school? Or a pair of jeans in your closet that you once wore?
I think the first step to reaching a healthy weight is to know that number from a medical or weight loss professional. A doctor can tell you. So can a Registered Dietician. They use the Body Mass Index – a ranking system that considers your height, gender and current weight. For many people who struggle with their weight, the truth can be an eye-opener.
Last week, the American Heart Association released some findings from a study of mothers and children who were either overweight or obese. Obesity is when your BMI exceeds 30. The study showed that nearly half of mothers with overweight and obese children think their children’s weight is normal. In fact, overweight and obese women and children underestimate their own body weight, too.
This is not a big surprise when you consider that two out of three people in America are either overweight or obese. Obesity is an epidemic affecting all age groups. So when everyone around you needs to lose weight, being overweight apparently seems normal.
Researchers documented this at an urban, primary care center in New York City. There, they asked participants how they perceived their body size by using silhouette images of body types that are underweight, normal and overweight. While nearly 82 percent of obese women underestimated their weight, only 13 percent of women whose weight was normal thought they weighed less than they did, according to the study.
The results for children were similar. Eighty-six percent of overweight or obese children underestimated their weight compared to 15 percent of normal weight children.
Maybe overcoming obesity is a matter of education. How can you fix the problem if you don’t know one exists?
Do you know where you rank on the BMI? While it might be discouraging to learn how many pounds you need to lose to reap all the health advantages of maintaining a healthy weight, it’s an important step to being accountable. Once we become accountable for our weight, it’s easier to make the necessary changes to our eating and exercise habits.
+ Learn More About Surgical Weight Loss
Source: American Heart Association
Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.
Emily S, In Motion Staff Member
Emily S began at In Motion as a patient first and her knowledge and great attitude were quickly recognized by the staff at our Hilltop Clinic. She has worked as a Rehab Tech for over seven months now.
She comes to us with an impressive Athletic Training background. She received her Bachelors from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC in 2008 and her Masters from UVA in 2009. Currently, she is studying to add the title of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist to her credentials.
She played goalkeeper on her college soccer team and is currently on the Team In Motion flag sand football team (10-2 in the last Winter Season!). She also enjoys photography, her Florida Gators and her dog Marley.
Emily says her favorite thing about working at In Motion is “the great patients we have and the ability to be able to help people’s lives get better every day and also be apart of a team effort.”
Co-worker and physical therapist at Hilltop Bill F says “Emily is warm and always has a friendly smile for the patients. She is very knowledgeable about orthopaedics and sports injuries. She has even taught me a few things and is especially helpful during the evaluation phase of patient care.”
Thanks, Emily, In Motion is proud to have you on board!
March is National Athletic Training Month, so in honor of our outstanding athletic training staff this blog is focused on a brief overview of their profession. During your next athletic training appointment take some time to educate yourself on your athletic trainer’s background and share with your peers, athletes, and parents. And when you see your athletic trainer, be sure to show them some appreciation!
What is an athletic trainer?
An athletic trainer is an allied health care professional certified by the National Athletic Training Association Board of Certification to collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of emergency, acute, and chronic injuries and medical conditions.
Where do athletic trainers work?
Athletic trainers work in a variety of settings performing injury prevention, evaluation, and rehabilitation services to athletes and active people.
- Schools – middle schools, high school, and colleges
- Professional sports (football, hockey, baseball, basketball, NASCAR)
- Military
- Performing Arts
- Industry (offices, factories, even NASA!)
- Physical therapy clinics
What colleges/universities in Virginia offer accredited athletic training majors?
Averett University, Bridgewater College, Emory & Henry College, George Mason University, James Madison University, Liberty University, Longwood University, Lynchburg College, Radford University, and Roanoke College.
If you are interested in more information about becoming an athletic trainer or an athletic training student aide, contact your school’s athletic trainer.
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We all know that a fiber-rich diet is important to overall health. That’s why today’s taste features the Fiber One bar! With 140 calories, 9 grams of fiber, and only 10 grams of sugar it packs 35% of an adult’s daily fiber needs and has won all kinds of “Healthiest Snack” awards for its great taste and health benefits.
Here are five tips for fiber consumption:
- Fiber in your diet keeps you regular, fights weight gain and has preventative qualities – for the average adult, the recommended fiber intake is 25 grams per day.
- Look for bran, whole grain, and whole wheat on the ingredient labels of pastas, breads and baked goods and opt for brown instead of white rice.
- Drink up! When you boost fiber intake give your body more water to help process the foods you’ve eaten.
- Fresh berries are a great source of fiber; a 1/2 cup serving of raspberries, blueberries or blackberries has 4 grams of fiber.
- Beans and dried peas (like lentils, black kidney and pinto beans) are low calorie and protein packed; a 1/2 cup serving of kidney beans has 8 grams of fiber.
These tips for healthy food choices are brought to you by Maryam Rostami, MD, of Bon Secours Eagle Harbor Medical Associates.
+ Learn about In Motion’s Nutrition & Weight Loss Program
Looking for a doctor? Contact Bon Secours at 889-RSVP (7787) and we’ll connect you to a primary care doctor who will provide you and your family with care that’s personalized and exceptional.
GAIN SPEED. IMPROVE AGILITY. STAY STRONG.
This spring In Motion will open the doors of our Greenbrier location at Chilled Ponds to area athletes for an exciting mini-camp targeting speed and agility for baseball. All great athletes have to work hard to develop and maintain quickness, speed and agility to keep competitive and stay healthy.
Your five speed and agility sessions will take place daily over spring break (April 18-22 or April 25-29) and will provide small group attention and individualized drills and workouts. You will also be taught the latest and most effective training techniques. Camps will be offered daily at multiple times at our Greenbrier location. The cost of the camp is $50.
What You Get
- Five 1-hour sessions with Baseball Performance Specialist Aaron Eppler, M.Ed, ATC, CSCS, who can make you faster and teach you the proper ways to train to stay injury-free and give you the confidence to compete
- A focus on improving speed and agility
- A focus on improving reaction time, handeye coordination and swinging power
- Skilled supervision to address any biomechanical issues than can cause injury or prevent performance improvement
This camp is for athletes ages 9-10 and 11-12. Call (757) 391-7676 to register or for more information.
One of the biggest celebrities on The Biggest Loser is personal trainer Jillian Michaels. Maybe it’s because she has such a loud voice for a little body. Or the way she perches herself on top of a treadmill to maintain eye contact with the contestants running themselves ragged.
I think it’s because she forces her clients to figure out what drove them mentally to eat bite after bite after bite.
If you missed this week’s episode, you didn’t get to see Rulon, a former Olympic wrestler, carry Jillian on his back while walking backwards in the sand and pulling another teammate.
My muscles hurt just watching him strain with every step.
But the real work for Rulon began on Jillian’s back patio overlooking the Pacific ocean. She wanted to know why Rulon let himself go. How does an Olympic gold medalist end up weighing 474 pounds and suffering from high blood pressure and sleep apnea?
Like other personal trainers, Jillian knows that it’s not enough to learn how to eat right and exercise regularly. If you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight, you have understand why you overate to begin with, or you’ll end up putting those pounds back on.
A personal trainer can help you figure that out.
For Rulon, the trick is to feel worthy. He ate because he didn’t believe he deserved true love.
“You have to deal with this,” Jillian told him.
Whether he will is uncertain. The real test for contestants is when the cameras get turned off and everyone heads home to their families. That’s weeks away.
But Rulon’s attitude sounds promising. He said he recognizes that “today is the rest of your life. Today is the day you’re making the change, to change the rest of your life.”
Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.
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