By the time you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. And when you’re dehydrated, your performance drops. No one knows this better than a paintballer. Out in the woods or on the paintball field, carrying your paintball air tank, you don’t just know it, you feel it.
Consider these facts:
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing.
- Sweating (how you lose what water you have) makes the heart works harder to move blood through the bloodstream, which causes muscle cramps, dizziness and fatigue.
Paintballer, you can’t afford it. So what’s your hydration game plan?
Water, Powerade, Gatorade? (We hope you know by now that sodas are a surefire crash and burn. And if you’re hitting the hard stuff on the field, that’s another issue altogether.)
Frankly, it’s no contest. Water is the winner. Dude, you are made mostly of water. After air (in your lungs, not just your paintball air tank), it’s the basic element of survival.
As for sports drinks, the big ones all have almost identical ingredients, although Gatorade is more of a sodium bomb (they add extra to trigger the thirst mechanism). The main thing they help with is restoring calories to athletes exercising at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more. And as far as minerals go, if you’re out there for 3-5 hours, as we are, you might want something to replenish electrolytes.
Since we’re talking minerals, how about this secret weapon: coconut water. 100% natural, more electrolytes than leading sports drinks, plus 15x the potassium, which helps prevent cramping. Just, you know, like any liquid, put it in your camel back. You’ve already got your paintball air tank. Carrying a fresh young coconut is only gonna weigh you down.
Thank you GA for the superb tips. Will do it in the field soon!