There are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone when it come to the proper intake of fluids during exercise. If you sweat a lot, you are at a higher risk of dehydration and you need to drink more to make up for the loss. If you don't sweat, you are still not off the hook. You too are losing water (though at a slower rate) and you need to replace it.
In normal life, drinking when you're thirsty is enough to keep most people adequately hydrated. But for athletes who know that they will be losing a lot of water during play, it is important to drink before you're thirsty. If you're thirsty, you are already on the road to dehydration. Drink something immediately and then keep drinking a little bit at a time throughout the match or tournament.
You must get to know your body and what it needs in order to properly hydrate. What you need may be starkly different than what your teammates need to perform well. Just pay attention to how much water you drink and how your body reacts to it to come up with your personal hydration plan.
Most people are prone to dehydration but it is possible to drink too much fluid which is also harmful to the body. Although rare, it happens, so be aware of it. When drinking water, it is much more productive to drink a few gulps at a time instead of downing an entire bottle of water every other hour. Drinking a little water often is much more effective because your body is able to metabolize the fluids and use them more efficiently.
With that in mind, here are some tips on your fluid intake:
- Drink 15-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours before exercise
- Drink 8-10 ounces of water 10-15 minutes before exercise
- If you are playing for more than 90 minutes, add a sports drink to your fluid intake
- Drink water and sports drink in the two hours following play to replace what you lost
