dehydration

what 6 effects on exercise does dehydration have?

• reduced blood volume

• increased core temp

• impaired aerobic capacity

• muscle cramps/injury risk

• decreased mental performance

• cardiac drift

how does reduced blood volume lead to worse performance?

reduced blood volume impairs oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles which leads to fatigue

how does increased core temp lead to worse performance?

increased core temp makes it more difficult for the body to dissipate heat, leading to a rise in core temp during exercise

how do muscle cramps lead to worse performance?

muscle cramps and joint stiffness, increase the likelihood of strains and other injuries

how does decreased mental performance lead to worse performance?

dehydration negatively affects cognitive functions such as attention, reaction time and decision making

how does cardiac drift lead to worse performance?

dehydration reduces blood volume, lowering stroke volume so heart rate increases to maintain cardiac output, causing cardiac drift

how does impaired aerobic capacity lead to worse performance?

• 2% loss in body wright due to dehydration can reduce aerobic performance by about 5%

• losses exceeding 5% can decrease work capacity up to 30%

what is cardiac drift?

a gradual increase in heart rate during prolonged exercise at a constant workload