We can’t survive without water. In fact, our body is made of 55-75 percent water. We need water as it lubricates our joints, regulates the body temperature, boosts energy, transports nutrients, and keeps us healthy. Water and hydration are crucial if we want our bodies to perform all functions properly. Moreover, when doing sports, our bodies sweat and we tend to lose fluids at a rapid pace. Thus, if you are a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, you should remember that proper hydration is crucial for normal breathing, especially during a grappling session.
If you want to be a successful Jiu-Jitsu fighter, bear in mind that water is essential while dehydration is dangerous. Staying hydrated will also prevent kidney stones and sicknesses. On the other hand, being dehydrated can be detrimental to your health. In fact, you won’t have enough water in your body to perform the vital functions. Some of the most common symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, dry mouth, excessive thirst, dizziness, muscle cramps, and muscle weakness.
Furthermore, dehydration will have a negative impact on your physical performance and you might suffer pains and digestive and neurological troubles.
When and What to Drink for Better BJJ Performance?
First and foremost, you should drink water with a well-balanced composition in mineral salts before the training. Then, while training you should drink favor low mineralized water. Moreover, after you finish with the training, choose water filled with sodium which will make the recovery easier. Likewise, drinking varied water regularly is the most important tip. Besides water, there are other drinks you should consider taking.
Isotonic Drinks
Additionally, in order to boost your energy and optimize hydration for efforts like BJJ, you should include isotonic drinks into your diet. These drinks bring a better hydration to the cells and have plenty of health benefits. So, they burn carbs faster and counterbalance the loss through sweating.
Sports Drinks and Coconut Water
You probably know that when you train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you sweat and lose electrolytes. The electrolytes are minerals found in the blood that help to regulate the amount of water in the body. Thus, sports drinks and coconut water rehydrate your body because they contain electrolytes while water does not.
Fruit
You might be surprised to find fruit on this list, but you should know that fruit contains electrolytes and fluids which are great for hydration. Thus, when working out, make sure you eat more bananas and dates which are a great source of electrolyte potassium. However, make sure that when you eat fruit you also drink plenty of plain water.
Natural Sports Drink
If you are more into a healthier and all-natural drinks, there is a simple recipe worth trying. Prepare this drink at home prior to going to your BJJ class. We can assure you that you’ll forget about being dehydrated. So, all you should do is combine the following ingredients: 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 8 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons honey, 24 ounces water.
