KARACHI, June 10: Dehydration is said to be one of the most common causes of poor performance on part of any athlete or sportsperson in an endurance event.

Experts highlighting the importance of early and frequent consumption of fluids reminded that inexperience athletes often wait until they feel thirsty to drink fluids, while actually they need to start drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water a day the week before the endurance event.

On the contrary, athletes are noticed to take water by the time they become aware of their thirst, usually later in the race. By that time, their bodies may have lost two per cent of their water reserves.

According to experts, the best sign that one has drunk enough water is the production of frequent and clean urine.

This, however, must not be confused with the overabundance of urine produced when one’s blood sugar levels are too high. These high levels are said to be accompanied by terrible thirst and severe fatigue.

It was stated that even these symptoms can sometimes be seen in people who train very intensively, get dehydrated or over- train. The only sure way to distinguish between the above- mentioned two states is to monitor blood sugar levels frequently.

As for runners and other sportsmen/women, it is advised that on race day, they must drink two to three cups of fluid one to two hours before the event, followed by one to one-and-a-half cups of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes of activity, even if the concerned individual is not thirsty.—APP