Hydration
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Stay hydrated, and shoot your best!
Spring has finally sprung, and before you know it, summer with all of its heat and humidity will be upon us. You need to be prepared when you come to the range. In addition to sunscreen and insect repellent, don’t forget that it is critical to maintain hydration. This fact is particularly true for those of you participating in matches at MCRC. It is very easy to get behind the hydration curve when you are concentrating on shooting. MCRC provides cold fresh water in the clubhouse and is encouraging all match directors to supply water and/or Gatorade to their competitors during the matches and, if needed, allow for frequent heat breaks. We urge everyone to be responsible for his or her own hydration.
If you plan to spend the day at MCRC and know that the temperatures will be over 90 degrees, start to hydrate the night before. Water is the best hydrating fluid. Bring additional water to the range and drink it! In this weather, at least 12 ounces every hour may be necessary to avoid dehydration.
The signs of dehydration include dry mouth, thirst, headache, muscle weakness, lightheadedness, fatigue and fainting. A good guide to adequate hydration with activity in hot weather is being certain that you are voiding good amounts and that your urine is light colored. For those of you on blood pressure medication or diuretics, be especially careful, as dehydration may cause serious loss of electrolytes, leading to muscle cramps or a significant drop in blood pressure. Drinks with caffeine and high sugar content such as soda may actually worsen the symptoms of dehydration, as they tend to prevent rapid absorption of water from the stomach.
Both Gatorade and CamelBak sell electrolyte solutions that can be helpful for extreme situations when large volumes of perspiration will cause loss of sodium and potassium. Pedialyte is an electrolyte formula for infants that also works great for adults. It is an electrolyte solution that can be diluted by adding additional water that makes it go a long ways. For most of us, plain old cool water, and lots of it, is best. Remember - hold hard, squeeze easy and drink lots of water.
