CHCS Perspectives Summer/Fall 2013

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER-FALL 2013 – Page 33 the water. During timeouts, athletes, too often, are eager (or antsy) to get back to play and thus overlook drinking/sipping water. The younger the athlete, the more this behavior is probable. What is the old saying? “You can lead a horse to water, etc.” This is all the more reason coaches, trainers, etc., should be more precise in see- ing that the athletes drink water. Additionally, in this study as well as a follow-up analysis done by the same re- searchers that was published in a later edi- tion of the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal, the degree of cognitive performance limitation and the degree of needed hydration was not influenced one way or the other by either plain water or carbohydrate-electrolyte reinforced water. In other words, it seems as if a deficiency in plain water is what brings about the cog- nizant slowdown. Likewise, a replenish- ment/maintenance of plain water is what safeguards against the cognizant imped- ance. The value of the enriched fluids seems to relate more to muscle perform- ance. It may be that certain brain tissues absorb plain water at higher volume and/or quicker rates. The importance of hydration has been known for just about as long as history has been recorded, but its relevance has gone through a variety of cycles. We’ve used water to cool us down as an external appli- cation. In boxing, water is often splattered on the face between rounds. At the same time, water is swished in the mouth and then spat out with a bit, perhaps, swallowed. We teach that water is an excellent con- veyance for replenishing selected nutrients in the body, especially since the introduc- tion of Gatorade and then the variety of drinks since. When we teach nutrition, we teach the relevance of protein to growth, the importance of carbohydrate to energy, and the value of fats to both. We also teach the functions of vitamins and minerals and do so under the umbrella of nutrition. Do we teach water as a necessary, equally im- portant nutrient? If we do not get enough of certain minerals, we can develop muscle cramping, among other concerns. If we do not get enough protein (amino acids), we may stunt growth/repairing, among other concerns. If we do not get enough carbo- hydrates, we also may feel fatigue, among other concerns. In survival education, the military teaches that under some circumstances, water may be more important than food. Water is critical in just about every meta- bolic process/mechanism in the body. Water is the important solvent in the body and is an important coolant for the body. More and more, we learn that water is proving to be essential in our abstract ca- pabilities, as well as critical in our physical performances. There is no need to allow dehydration to exist. Why not give water the same depth of coverage as the other nutrients when teaching nutrition? Let us not allow water to become a forgotten nutrient . ...The Forgotten Nutrient