Proper hydration has been proven to help golfers improve their game.
Something as simple as drinking enough water to properly hydrate the body can really improve a golf game? It can’t be that simple, yet science says it is so.
Dehydration Impacts Golf Performance
You want your golfers enjoy their best game of golf while visiting your course.
Studies have proven that proper hydration is necessary for optimal mental sharpness and peak performance during physically demanding activity. A golfer needs to be both mentally and physically sharp in order to keep their score low.
A study published in The Journal of Strength and Condition Research reported that there is a significant difference in golf performance when a golfer is properly hydrated. They studied the same players under properly hydrated and subsequent dehydrated conditions.
They found that even mild dehydration impairs the 3 key elements of golf performance:
- cognitive-motor task performance
- distance accuracy
- and distance judgement
The body is made of mostly water; therefore dehydration will have an effect on every single muscle and organ in the body. Proper hydration is necessary for optimal mental and physical activity.
Do you want to help your golfers have a better performance while on playing on your course? Make sure they have are properly hydrated when they are on and about the course.
Why Golfers Are Dehydrated
Dehydration can slowly creep up while golfers are playing a round which may take 3 hours or longer. While the golfers are out enjoying your greens, they lose sight of the clubhouse, and may very easily forget to hydrate properly.
Health & Wellness for Golf Performance posted an article by Dr. Deborah Graham: Golfers are Dehydrated! 8 Reasons Why Competitive Golfers Become Dehydrated.
Here are some common issues competitive golfers have with hydration.
- Not wanting to interrupt golf game with bathroom breaks.
- Feeling less athletic with excess fluids on the stomach.
- Not feeling thirsty.
- Under-estimating the amount of perspiring.
- Replacing lost fluids with caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.
- Avoiding salt on foods
- Did not bring their own water, and golf course does not supply
- Simply not liking the taste of water.
Solutions For Hydration
By the time a person feels thirsty they are already dehydrated. Golfers should begin hydrating before they even step out on the course, and continue to sip water throughout the round. To avoid feeling waterlogged or frequent trips to the bathroom, Dr. Graham suggests adding electrolytes to make sure water is properly absorbed in the body. Even a pinch of unprocessed salt on food will help the body absorbs water.
Sugar and corn syrup reduces cell function and performance by drawing the fluids to the intestines, and away from the rest of the body. Golfers should avoid consuming sugary sodas, caffeinated beverages, and alcoholic beverages, or at least pair them with equal servings of water while on the golf course. According to Dr. Graham, hydration will improve stamina, focus, emotional balance, and may even lower golf scores!
How Golfers Should Hydrate
To keep the brain and body functioning, water is necessary. The human brain is 85% water, and the body is 75% water. Water serves as a lubricating agent for the joints in the body and the discs in the spine. There is no argument that water is very important to the body and brain. The question is – how much water is required to help the body and brain function at maximum capacity?
Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) recommends that the optimal amount of water to consume is ½ of the body weight in pounds is the number of ounces of water to consume. In other words, a person who weighs 100 pounds should consume 50 ounces of water, or a person who weighs 200 pounds should consume 100 ounces of water per day. Keep in mind, coffee, soda, juices, and especially beer do not count towards the required ounces per day. TPI also recommends consuming a good portion of required water intake during a golf game to maintain optimal performance.
Designer Golf Products Golf Course Refreshment Solutions
Providing water at various locations in and around your golf course will help your golfers stay hydrated and on top of their game.
Designer Golf Products has the solution. Visit our and Golf Course Refreshment Solutions page for hydration stations to enhance your golf course aesthetic. Beverage Stations, Ice Chests, and Water Coolers all represent the finest in quality, durability, and sustainability.
Sources:
http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2012/11000/Effect_of_Acute_Mild_Dehydration_on.23.aspx
https://breakingmuscle.com/healthy-eating/dehydration-ruins-your-golf-game-and-all-other-sports-too
