The Importance of Hydration for Golfers

The Importance of Hydration for Golfers

Becoming a great athlete, whether a golfer or otherwise, doesn’t only culminate from physical preparedness and performance improvements accomplished through exercise and training. Instead, it requires a multifaceted approach involving all pillars of health, wellness, and fitness. Such pillars include exercise, diet and nutrition, sleep and recovery, and of course, hydration… 

With that said, in what follows, we’ll be discussing the importance of hydration when it comes to golf performance. Additionally, we’ll take a deeper look and its benefits and detriments for those who do and don’t prioritize it…

So, if you’re looking to optimize your golf game, curious as to how the consumption of water can help, this article is for you!

The Benefits of Being Hydrated

We all know the importance of water when it comes to our general health; heck, we’re made up of nearly 60-70% water depending on the source that you refer to… That’s got to stand for something, right?! 

However, withstanding the necessity of water from a humanities standpoint, it also plays several major roles as an athlete, and golfer, in particular. 

Again, while most of us understand the importance of hydration in a primitive sense, very few lack the knowledge of how important it truly is. In short, hydration for golfers goes well beyond ensuring you consume a sufficient amount of water daily and during your round…

For starters, hydration doesn’t just comprise water consumption but rather sodium and electrolyte consumption as well. In other words, it’s not enough to just drink water to stay hydrated. Instead, our bodies require a level of sodium to retain the water we are consuming in order to stay truly hydrated. 

In any case, staying hydrated does start with ensuring that you consume a sufficient amount of water. Below are the many reasons why it’s imperative that you consume such amounts of water both daily and during your round of golf:

• It regulates body temperature
• It lubricates joints 
• It acts as a defense against infection
• It allows nutrient delivery on a cellular level
• It aids in organ function 

Even further, staying hydrated increases energy levels, improves sleep quality, boosts mood, promotes cognitive function, and above all else, promotes overall health and well-being.

Not only does hydration provide you with the inherent energy needed to tackle each and every training session but it’s also been linked to weight loss, improved cognition, and even disease prevention; two major morbidity factors uncomplimentary to strength and longevity. 

Further, without getting into too much detail, hydration is also linked to cellular health and the reduction of protein breakdown, both of which aid in lean muscle growth, thus strength and performance, both on and off the course.

Finally, consuming sufficient amounts of water is also known to flush out toxins from the body; a more than welcomed benefit when it comes to health optimization and the ability to persist through each and every round of golf without roadblocks… 

How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

While the daily recommendation of water varies depending on several factors including your size and activity level, the general recommendation for the average individual is eight 8-fluid ounces of water daily as a minimum standard.

According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, it’s recommended that men consume nearly 4 liters (approx. 3.7 liters) of water daily, while women should consume nearly 3 liters (approx. 2.7 liters). This amount only increases based on activity levels…

To get more specific, it’s suggested that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day; that’s 100 ounces per day for a 200 lb individual.

From a golfer’s perspective, you should aim to consume approximately 25% of your daily consumption of water immediately upon waking, 50% during the golf round itself, and the final 25% for post-round recovery. 

In Summary

While it’s important to prioritize all training aspects of your golf game, it’s just as important to prioritize all off-course activities that too will transfer to the course. Those activities include but are certainly not limited to exercise, stretching, sleep, diet, and, of course, hydration especially for golfers!

In short, if you want to play your best golf and have the capacity to continue your golfing journey as you age, drink your water! … And eat your Golf Gummies 😉