DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON DURING YOUR ROUND?
From the outside world golf doesn’t look like a particularly
energy draining sport. Have a stroll, hit a ball, have a stroll, hit
a ball. Easy isn’t it? Well for those of us that play regularly we
know that’s not the case, the golf swing itself can be a tiring
motion and when you accompany that with a four mile hike
carrying 15-20kg of equipment it can be an arduous task.
In order to make sure your body is functioning at its peak during
our rounds (especially in the summer months) we need to
understand our body better. One of the key areas to prevent
tiredness and lulls in concentration is staying hydrated.
Dehydration results in impaired skill performance, impaired
ability to focus and concentrate for longer periods, fatigue and
can contribute to heat stress. As golf is largely a game of skill it
is very important golfers consume adequate fluid to maintain
hydration. Fluid requirements vary largely depending on the
players’ size, gender, time in play and environmental conditions.
During competition and practice/training rounds access to
adequate fluid on the course is an important part of maintaining
hydration. In hot weather conditions players sweat, in that sweat
is the loss of electrolytes, there are tons of electrolytes out there,
but in our bodies they are basically calcium, sodium, potassium,
magnesium chloride, hydrogen phosphate (a mineral) and
hydrogen carbonate (a salt.) They regulate our nerve and
muscle function, our hydration, the pH of our blood, rebuilding
damaged tissue, and determining blood pressure. Too little of
these electrolytes and muscles become weak, too much and
they over contract.
Fluids should be carried in the golf bag and efforts should be
made to keep the fluids cool to promote better intakes. Fluid
requirements generally increase as the temperature increases so
golfers should monitor their average sweat rates by weighing
themselves before a round and then again after in different
playing conditions.
The weight deficit needs to be replaced by 1.5 times the amount
of fluid lost, so:
1KG BODY WEIGHT LOST = 1L FLUIDS LOST
= 1.5L TO RECOVER
Sports drinks are ideal for long practice rounds and competition
as they replace fluid as well as carbohydrate and electrolytes
Tips:
• now your sweat rates in different conditions and aim to drink
K
80% of this during play; e.g. if you lose approx. 800mL per
hour, you should aim to drink 640mL per hour.
•
Increase your fluid intake in warm weather and chill your
drinks in the freezer a few hours before you play or overnight
to keep them cooler.
• nclude water and sports drinks to replace fluid, electrolytes
I
and carbohydrate.
• ydration is the golfer’s own responsibility, set a timer to go
H
off (quietly) during your round to prompt you to take on fluids
Although the 19th hole is often the place for recreational golfers
“recovery”, all levels of golfers should look to recover fuel and
fluid stores through good food choices immediately after the
18th hole before alcohol comes into the picture. The recovery
choices become critical when playing multiple rounds in one day
or backing up for a 4 day tournament.
As a rule of thumb, aim to consume a recovery snack
within 30 minutes of finishing a training session or competition.
This snack should contain carbohydrates, protein and a source
of fluid.
MAKE YOUR OWN ENERGY DRINK:
You will need…
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ to 2 cups fresh water, depending on how strong you
1
want the flavor
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons natural sugar or honey, to taste
64 YOURCADDY | ISSUE 03
DIRECTIONS
Toss everything into a food blender and blend until the honey is
dissolved, or just use some elbow grease and blend it by hand.
Pour yourself a tall glass, drop in a few ice cubes, and enjoy.