Dehydration is one of the most common performance-sapping issues that athletes face—especially in a sport as demanding and, frankly, sweaty as motocross. We’re heading toward the hottest months of the year, and that means staying hydrated will be a primary concern for a lot of us, whether we’re racing competitively or just out for a track day with friends and family.
When your body is low on fluids, your body and brain perform poorly— studies have even shown that dehydrated drivers make as many mistakes as those under the influence of alcohol. It’s wild to think that lining up behind the gate under-hydrated is on par with lining up drunk, but that’s the reality. Even low levels of dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and slowed reaction times.
Really want to get a visual? Dehydration can increase the thickness of your blood and also weaken your veins, which means less blood is able to enter your heart with each beat. That means less blood circulates through your system, which means less oxygen is delivered to your organs and muscles, meaning you lose power, endurance, and focus. Dehydration can also cause glycogen to break down, lead to even more muscle fatigue.
So we’ve arrived at Dehydration = Bad News. But we’ve got a water bottle, right? We feel thirsty, we grab a sip. Well, thirst is a helpful sign in some ways, but it’s really more of a symptom than a warning: by the time you feel thirsty, you’re actually already dehydrated. And it can take as long as 45 minutes to fully rehydrate. The trick is to stay ahead of your thirst and fuel your body with things that are proven to work for performance athletes.
Water is great, by the way! We should all drink it regularly. But according to the Cleveland Clinic, water alone isn’t enough to maintain maximum hydration following a long, intense workout. Your gym workouts, cycling sessions, and days on the track need a little extra support. And that’s where electrolyte drinks like ARMA’s HYDR8 come in. Its superior formula features 8 bioavailable electrolytes, with 72 trace minerals in support to get you hydrated and help regulate nerve and muscle function. HYDR8 was created by athletes, for athletes, and is trusted by pros like Jeremy McGrath himself, who cofounded the company alongside the likes of Chad Reed, Nick Wey, and Adam Cianciarulo, among others.
To learn more about ARMA’s complete “Supreme Hydr8tion” system, click here.
