We understand that training year-round is a critical part to the puzzle for success from many. Once you have the chance to train on the stroke master, you’ll understand how your off season, dry land training becomes next level.

With that said, we have pulled some critical hydration tips for our athletes from US Rowing.

Just drinking when you’re thirsty won’t cut it.

Most rowers and other athletes, when allowed to drink as much or as little as they want during an hour or more of training or racing, only drink enough to replace about half of the fluid they lose during the session.

“If it’s clear, you’re golden.”

The best way to tell if you’re hydrated before practice or a race is to monitor your urine color. Very pale yellow to clear indicates good hydration. If you’re well hydrated, you will probably need to urinate every 2-3 hours. At a baseline (indoors, in air conditioning, on a day off from training), you need to drink one ounce of fluid for every two pounds of body weight. For most people (130-200 lbs.), that’s between two and three Nalgenes.

I’m probably fine…I’m not “the sweaty kid”!

Actually, EVERYONE sweats a lot when it is hot and humid out. Even if you don’t have a lot of visible perspiration during a practice, your body uses a lot of fluid to keep cool in the heat, and you also lose significant fluid through the moisture in your breath. In one hour of practice, rowers generally lose 50-85 ounces of fluid through sweat and these other systems.

Therefore, it’s important to start drinking early in practice, keep drinking at every water break, and continue to drink once practice is over.

The most important ingredient for hydration (besides water).

For more information on the stroke master, click here.