Drinking water on the bench

[Eman24dx 0]

I asked my doctor about this a few weeks ago and he told me to drink a lot of water all day prior to the game, so I usually tend to have just water all day. Sometimes I have a Lipton Green Tea, just so dam good.

My superstition is to have a Timmy Ho's coffee while getting dressed, this might be bad but I see many NHL'ers with it before games so it can't be too bad. Before the game I have 1/4 of my Powerade and then the rest on the ride home. During the game I usually don't even need water.

Now im quite thirsty

[crosskore 0]

You should still drink water even if you dont think you need it. You body doest make you "think" you need it till it's too late. Even if you dont "think" you need it. At least drink it to replace the water you lose in your sweat.

As muscle glycogen stores are depleted, your body gets more energy from blood glucose, which is transported from the blood into your muscles. If you keep drinking water and carbohydrates, it will ensure that enough carbohydrate energy is available in the 3rd period.

You can lose up to 10 pounds a game, but this weight is lost through sweat(water)

For those of you who arent yet satisfied that you need water, water is required for the chemical reactions in muscles that release energy for movement. Also, water helps blood volume, so the heart and lungs, as well as the rest of your circular system depend on your bodies water level.

If you dont have enough water it could affect your blood circulation which you need to have your muscles work as godo as they can and keep your muscle fatigue from setting in. If you dont drink water and find yourself thirsty, that means your too late. When you feel thirsty your body has lost 1% of your body weight, so if your 200 pounds, thats 2 pounds gone, if you still dont drink, it will double to 2% and so on. At this point of 2 pounds gone, 15% of your work capacity is diminished. Needless to say, that doesnt help your hockey.

To avoid this, start drinking water at the begining of the first period ofthe game.

[slapshot2 0]

Yea make sure you hydrate before the game. Remember just dont drink too much water or your stomach might feel a little weird. I usually skirt my face a couple of times rigth after the shift then take a couple gulps of water. For some reason I don't drink too much between periods but thats just me.

[bulletproof_funk 0]

Crosskore, you have some good points. I've noticed the days when I'm not well hydrated, I can't move my legs as fast. It's the same when I inline skate on the city recreational pathways; I have a much harder time sprinting up some of those hills because my blood doesn't feel like it's flowing as well to my muscles.

At the same time, I think how much water everyone drinks is dependent on their body types and conditioning. When I was out for several weeks to let an ankle injury heal, I didn't do any exercise. During my first time back on the ice shortly after, my body wouldn't absorb water as easily because my conditioning had worsened. Also since body fat stores a good amount of water, some people rely more on their reserves instead of what's in their stomach during a game. I have to keep drinking water during activity since I have very little in the way of water reserves, whereas others might not need as much as I do.

[crosskore 0]

Muscle tissue stores more water then fat tissue. Thats why muscle weighs more then fat. I dont know if this has anything to do with what you said, but I just thought I would post that... just... because...

[kosydar 0]

Exactly why I don't suggest it. I know Gary Roberts is a huge health nut and he really bellieves in taking a small drink after every shift. You can only get oxygen back into your body two ways, breathing or water.

I tried this, and I'll be damned if I didn't have more energy than normal during at the end of the game.

[Chez 0]

you should alway's bulk up on water even the day before you play

[asdfa 0]

a few years ago when i started playing hockey, i'd take these massive gulps of water in the third period and right after, when i step on the ice, my stomach starts burning. considering the water was cold... and i was warm.. why would something like that happen?

[lee92 2]

i tend to just take a mouthful after every shift. just a quick squirt. you're not suppose to drink a whole lot during games. you only need a little bit to hyrdate you during games, mind you this is after drinking plenty b4 games

[HTE__PL8 0]

i usually dont start drinking water till the 2nd and thrid period when i need the water.

[Chadd 916]

i usually dont start drinking water till the 2nd and thrid period when i need the water.

as stated before, it's too late at that point.

[chippa13 1844]

i usually dont start drinking water till the 2nd and thrid period when i need the water.

as stated before, it's too late at that point.

The rule of thumb is if you wait until you're thirsty to drink water then you have waited too long. The best bet is to drink plenty of water throughout the day of your game and to be sure to have plenty before the game. It doesn't take long for water to absorb into your system so you don't usually have to worry about cramping or anything like that.

[HTE__PL8 0]

not to disagree but for me whenever i have a game it acually makes me play sluggish if i drink more water than usually i just drink like 5 to 6 glasses ( the usually if not less) and that will be good for me.

[Chadd 916]

When playing you should drink a small amount of water after every shift. Drinking half a bottle isn't good for you either, the key is small amounts.

As for drinking before a game, it should be far enough in advance that you aren't sloshing around during the game.

[crosskore 0]

As stated in my earlier posts. Stop drinking 90 minuets before a game so the water has time to go through your system and filter.