As athletes we need more water than the average person. During a hard training session we may lose up to half a gallon or 3 liters of water. To replace that much fluid actually takes a conscious effort and this can be tough if we have hectic schedules where we are on the run all the time and it is easy to forget. Remember that by the time we feel thirst, we are already dehydrated and our body is not performing as optimally as is could be.
Many of you ask me about ways to prevent soreness of the joints in the fingers. Joint pain in the knees and hips is very common in athletes also.
If you are experiencing sore joints it could be due to dehydration. The cartilage in your body is composed mainly of water. Cartilage surfaces glide over one another and can become worn over time. Water is needed to transport the nutrients required for maintenance and repair, whereby new cartilage is produced to replace the damaged cartilage cells. Dehydration may increase the abrasive damage and slow down the repair, resulting in joint pain. So something as simple as having a few extra glasses a day could greatly diminish your joint pain and increase your mobility.