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drink to thirst hydration strategy

Drink To Thirst: A New Hydration Strategy For Athletes

 

Hydration—arguably one of the most critical factors for anyone, especially athletes. Whether you’re an endurance junkie pushing through long runs or cranking out miles on the bike, staying properly hydrated is essential for maintaining peak performance and avoiding a total body shutdown. Dehydration? Yeah, that can lead to a disastrous performance drop, overheating, or worse.

So how should you hydrate? Let’s cut through the noise and break it down: Is it better to hydrate on a set schedule or simply drink when you're thirsty?

Water: Your Lifeline

Water makes up about 60% of your body and plays an enormous role in keeping your cells, muscles, and organs functioning like the well-oiled machine they need to be. It lubricates joints, regulates body temperature, flushes waste, and basically keeps you alive. When you’re working out, especially during long or intense sessions, you're losing more water than usual. This makes staying hydrated crucial.

The Traditional Way to Hydrate: Scheduled Drinking

Athletes have been told for years to follow a hydration schedule. The idea is to take sips of fluid every 10-15 minutes, which works out to about 16-32 ounces per hour, depending on the conditions and intensity of exercise. The goal is to prevent a 2% reduction in body weight due to sweat, which can lead to overheating and reduced performance.

And yeah, this method works. It’s been tried, tested, and proven effective. But is it the only way?

Drink to Thirst: A Simpler, Yet Effective Approach

There’s a growing body of research suggesting that “drinking to thirst” might be just as good—if not better—for some athletes. What’s drinking to thirst? It’s exactly what it sounds like: you drink when you’re thirsty, and you stop when you’re not.

Critics argue that this method could lead to dehydration because your thirst mechanism kicks in too late. However, research is increasingly showing that this isn't the case for most athletes. In fact, it might even have some added perks—like avoiding overhydration, which can lead to hyponatremia (that’s when you dilute your blood’s sodium levels and potentially put your life at risk).

The Big Debate: Which Is Better?

Let’s look at the science. A 2019 meta-analysis by Goulet and Hoffman dug into the effects of drinking to thirst versus following a pre-planned hydration strategy. They analyzed seven studies on cyclists and runners, examining the differences in endurance performance between those who drank as they pleased and those who followed a scheduled hydration plan. Here’s what they found:

  • Fluid intake: Athletes drinking on a set schedule consumed about twice as much fluid as those drinking to thirst.
  • Body mass loss: Athletes hydrating based on thirst lost about twice as much body mass as those following a plan.
  • Endurance performance: Athletes drinking to thirst actually showed a slight performance improvement over those hydrating on a schedule—about 1% better endurance performance.

So, What’s the Takeaway?

Both methods get the job done. Whether you stick to a hydration schedule or listen to your body and drink when you're thirsty, the performance difference is so small that it probably won’t make or break your race. Just make sure you're not guzzling too much water and risking hyponatremia. For sessions longer than an hour, you’re better off switching to an electrolyte-based sports drink to keep your sodium and carbohydrate levels balanced.

How Much Should You Drink Each Day?

Now that we’ve covered hydration strategies during exercise, let’s talk about how much fluid you should be consuming daily. General guidelines suggest aiming for 13-20 ounces of fluid every 2-3 hours. The exact amount will depend on factors like body weight, gender, exercise intensity, climate, and sweat rate.

Pre-Exercise Hydration: Fuel Up Before You Go

Start with 16-20 ounces of water or a sports drink about 2-3 hours before you train. Then, have another 7-10 ounces about 10-20 minutes before your workout starts. This sets you up for success by ensuring your body is primed and ready.

Post-Exercise Hydration: Replenish What You Lost

After your session, it’s crucial to replace any fluids you lost. Experts recommend drinking 150% of the fluid lost through sweat. So, if you drop 1 kg (2.2 pounds) during a workout, drink 50 ounces of fluid afterward. Aim for a mix that includes electrolytes, carbs, and protein to help replenish glycogen stores and kickstart muscle recovery.

Bottom Line on Hydration

Hydration is a non-negotiable for endurance athletes. Whether you choose to drink to thirst or follow a strict hydration schedule, what matters is that you get enough fluids to keep your body running optimally. For efforts under an hour, water will do the trick. But when you’re out there pushing past the 60-minute mark, an electrolyte-based sports drink is your best bet to keep your performance steady and strong.

 

References:

  • Sawka, M. N., Burke, L. M., Eichner, E. R., Maughan, R. J., Montain, S. J., & Stachenfeld, N. S. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 39(2), 377-390.
  • Goulet, E. D., & Hoffman, M. D. (2019). Impact of Ad Libitum Versus Programmed Drinking on Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 1-12.
  • Hew-Butler, T., Loi, V., Pani, A., & Rosner, M. H. (2017). Exercise-associated hyponatremia: 2017 update. Frontiers in medicine, 4, 21.
  • Smith-Ryan, A., & Antonio, J. (Eds.). (2013). Sports Nutrition & Performance Enhancing Supplements. Linus Learning.
  • Casa, D. J., Armstrong, L. E., Hillman, S. K., Montain, S. J., Reiff, R. V., Rich, B. S., ... & Stone, J. A. (2000). National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for athletes. Journal of athletic training,35(2), 212.
  • Roberts W. FIMS Position Statement. 2012 Fluid replacement for sports safety and performance. International Sportmed Journal, June 2012;13(2):39-42.