Now that you know the importance of proper hydration, the amount of water consumed per day is critical to reach this goal.  Some people say “drink lots of water”.  But what is a lot of water?  Other say “drink 8 glasses of water per day.”  This is not an accurate way to determine the amount of water to drink each day.  For example if a female golfer weighs 100 pounds. 8 glasses of water may cause over hydration.  On the other hand if a male golfer weighs 200 pounds, 8 glasses of water falls far below the correct amount of water.

The optimal amount of water to drink is ½ your body weight (pounds) in ounces per day.  For example, a 200 lb. person will need to drink 100 ounces of water per day.  A key point to remember is that other fluids do not count toward your goal of ½ your bodyweight in ounces.  Those fluids include: coffee, tea, juices, soda, milk, sports drinks, and flavored water. In fact, other fluids like sports drinks and juices can actually dehydrate the body because it takes water to actually dilute these high sugar drinks before it is assimilated in the body.

Timing of water consumption is important to optimal hydration. Drinking water first thing in the morning is critical because during sleep the body becomes dehydrated.  Therefore drinking water first thing in the morning is the first step to optimal hydration.  Start with 25% of your total water intake in the morning.  If your water intake for the day is 100 ounces, you would consume 25 ounces in the morning.  During a golf round you should consume 40% - 50% of your total daily intake of water.  If your water intake for the day is 100 ounces, you would consume 40-50 ounces of water on the golf course.  The remaining water should be consumed throughout the day.

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