Rehydration

[Phlebas]

I have seen many differennt ways of rehydration -- spring water, artificially sweetened juice, Gatorade, Perrier, etc after practice and wondered about the Kendoka on KWF. I usually just drink about one litre of distilled water, but what do YOU use? How do you rehydrate AFTER practice, assuming you are not going to engage in vigorous activity immediately afterwards?

[Neil Gendzwill]

Beer!

[Marine_Boy]

What about radiator fluid? If it keeps a car cool, it should do the same trick for us...

Stan

[Hongsermeier]

The Japanese make some drinks similar to Gatorade, but not as sweet. Doesn't leave that sticky feeling in your mouth. My favorite is Pokari Sweat (spelling?). I usually put down 1 liter on the drive home (1 hour). After Friday practices it's dinner and beer. :cross_eye

[Old Warrior]

I keep a quart of tap water in the fridge with 2 green tea bags left in for at least a day. One of those usually does the trick.

[Karaken]

I'm with Neil - 2-3 beer does the trick.

Center - Drink Center

[sminki]

Pocari Sweat is great. Only the Japanese could come up with such a name for a drink though...

[Raiza]

Originally posted by Marine_Boy
What about radiator fluid? If it keeps a car cool, it should do the same trick for us...


I hope nobody is stupid enough to try that. :dead:

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Raiza


I hope nobody is stupid enough to try that. :dead:

Why, what's the prob -

URK!!!

[Tako-kun]

Originally posted by Charlie


Why, what's the prob -

URK!!!


You could ask my dearly departed cocker spaniel "Fred" about that one :(

[Hongsermeier]

Originally posted by Tako-kun



You could ask my dearly departed cocker spaniel "Fred" about that one :(

That used to be true. A few years ago they changed what's in antifreeze. It shouldn't kill you anymore. Just make you a little sick. They took out the alcohol. The tree huggers said it killed to many innocent dogs and cats. :cross_eye

[Tako-kun]

Yeah, it happened when I was young; shriveled his kidneys up, poor guy. Glad they changed that.

[Kiki]

Cold mugicha!

[JSchmidt]

Sheesh..only 1 answer...



Beer!!!!!!!!:D

Jakob

[Kendoka]

Lets get back on thread.

Hydration is an important part of managing your training routine, so is carbohydrate replacement after a solid traing session.

Consuming water with a bit of isotonic replacement aids your recovery and therefore you are in better condition to train next time. Your muscles have probably expended quite an amount of glycogen, so they need some fuel to top up and real quick is best.



Richard

[kendomushi]

We are not allowed rehydration breaks during keiko, and most of us don't worry about it afterwards. The only expection is when we are doing a tough practice with the children. We do take breaks and have a bit of pokari sweat and make sure they do as well.
Unless you are doing keiko every day in a tough climate most people who have been doing kendo for a few years shouldn't need much rehydration after a standard practice.
My personal choice would be beer with edo mamae at a nice bar.

[Tako-kun]

What is the reason behind not drinking during kendo practice? Over the last two decades or so sports science has gone from "don't drink too much when excercising or you'll cramp up" to "if you're working hard drink as much water as you can gulp down". It seems like every summer a couple of highschool, college or even NFL football players die of heat exhaustion, and I think I heard about a soccer player dying during a game in the last week or two. Is there a good reason not to drink during kendo, or is it just tradition?

[JSchmidt]

" most people who have been doing kendo for a few years shouldn't need much rehydration after a standard practice."

That's not entirely true...you need to replace what you lost and while you may not feel 'tired', doesnt mean you don't need re-hydration..it is somewhat essential for recovery.
Yes, ideally some kind of sports drink would be best, but most important is that you drink something..even beer.

Jakob

[Tako-kun]

Originally posted by JSchmidt
" most people who have been doing kendo for a few years shouldn't need much rehydration after a standard practice."

That's not entirely true...you need to replace what you lost and while you may not feel 'tired', doesnt mean you don't need re-hydration..it is somewhat essential for recovery.
Yes, ideally some kind of sports drink would be best, but most important is that you drink something..even beer.

Jakob


I wouldn't know since I'm dryer than an Amish prom, but doesn't drinking alcohol interfere with the body's ability to retain water? (isn't that why you're always going to the bathroom?) If so, doesn't beer just dry you out more?

[JSchmidt]

" If so, doesn't beer just dry you out more?"

No, what alcohol does is that it limits the amount of fluid absorbed...I'm quiting from memory here, but it's something along these lines: Isotonic sports drink, you'll absorb about 64%, water around 60% and alcohol about 56%. Alcohol does though slow down the recovery of your muscles, but it should not be noticable in most people. (ie top athletes will feel it). Basicly, even beer is better than nothing.

Jakob

[Neil Gendzwill]

Not exactly. Beer is a diuretic. Dehydration is one of the reasons you feel so crappy after drinking beer.

As far as "experienced kendoka don't need to rehydrate after practice" - what a load of hooey. I lose as much as 3 lbs over the course of a practice, and that's straight fluid loss. I can't imagine how much I'd lose in a climate twice as damp and 10 degrees hotter. The Aussies have it right, requiring water bottles in their climate.

There's been some research to show that inadequate hydration is one of the most important factors in performance loss, thus the emergence of hydration backpacks for skiers - when you're doing a high output activity all day, you've gotta rehydrate or you're gonna lose performance.

[kendomushi]

To quote my sensei "Its an issue of building and demonstrating our endurance. Having to take a 'water break' shows you are weak and not skilled enough to pace yourself through to the end of keiko."

[Neil Gendzwill]

Well we used to do double dead leg lifts, sonkyo suburi and bouncing calf stretches for warmups too - gradually these antiquated training ideas will hopefully be replaced by more modern ideas.

[Phlebas]

I hear you on that one, Neil. Those bouncing calf stretches make me nervous! I was taught NEVER to bounce whilst stretching a muscle.

Interesting results so far... I was betting that most people would vote for Gatorade or bottled water. I voted for "premium" water because I try to drink distilled. Usually, tapwater contains floride and some other stuff I don't particularly NEED after Kendo practice so I try to avoid it. I have tried some Powerade after practice and I liked it, but I would rather not drink "sugar water" every time.

[Kiki]

Phlebas
I would rather not drink "sugar water" every time

Plus all those preservatives. Occasionally, I do drink it afterwards. Not so sweet if you 1/2 & 1/2 it with water. Recently, I found a powered electrolyte/mineral hydration mix you add to water. No sweeteners or preservatives and not bad tasting. The body needs those electrolytes to bring the water into the cells.

I am not much of a beer drinker but a cold one after keiko sure does taste good.

[Charlie]

So who here hydrates *during* practice and who doesn't? We usually don't, but then again we are only going for 2 hours or so. If it's really hot, we might take a brief water break, which I don't see a problem with.

[Hongsermeier]

Where I used to practice it was ok to grab a drink during practice. I wouldn't even think about it where I'm at now. I'm almost afraid to run to the bathroom. :cross_eye

[iwatekenshi]

Two years ago I participated in a tachikiri. It's a marathon shiai where a few select participants are chosen to go against numerous kenshi. That year it was 5 tachikirisha and 5 groups of 10 kenshi rotating. That's 50 shiais for each tachikirisha :spchless: . Just nasty! Anyway it was autumn up here in Tohoku but still a bit warm for September. Due to the nonstop rotating shiais and not being able to take off the men one partcipant keeled over from heat exhaustion (a police kenshi). He was taken away still in bogu to the hospital (a bit of scare for everyone there :scared: ). He made a full recovery thankfully.
Don't find out the hard way.....DRINK YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN!

:calm:

[burger boy]

I'm one of those guys that walks around with a water bottle all day long so I'm lucky that we're allowed to take water breaks. I sip on a 50/50 mixture of gatorade and purified water before and during practice, drink a liter of water after practice is complete, and enjoy a bottle of Asahi at home as I clean up my gear.


burger boy

[Flashman]

Technical question for us rookies. How do you hydrate during class whey you have your men on. Go dry or sports bottle with long straw?

[Neil Gendzwill]

Sports bottle with a long straw.

[Kendoka]

Sports science V bushido.

Well, just look at pro athletes, do they sip as they go (when and if possible) Yes, why, because the body and brain works better when you are NOT dehydrated.

As for drinking during kendo training, some dojos do not allow it and some do, so plan accordingly.

Sensible isotonic, sugar (fructose / sucrose) and some salt replacement after training is essential and advised by sport scientists and professionals.

Richard

[Pokie]

beer contains a lot of carbos doesn't it ? they say if you drink one bottle of beer, it's like eating one bowl of rice, plus the alcohos does well for your heart.

Maybe that's why there's a whole deeper meaning of goin to the pub after kendo, there's more than meets the eye to beer..we just have to unlock it *unscrews a beer top* cheers !

[kendomushi]

If you practice at a dojo that doesn't allow mizu iri (water breaks) you might want to sip on a bit of a sports drink before keiko. But be sure to not overdo it or you may need another kind of break.

To drink during practice, a sports bottle with a long fixed straw would be easiest I think. Just keep it well out of the immediate practice area.

[roc_kendo]

Drink at least 2-3 bottles(500 ml) of water a day before and day of Kendo practing....

[inner_cent]

Originally posted by Pokie
beer contains a lot of carbos doesn't it ? they say if you drink one bottle of beer, it's like eating one bowl of rice, plus the alcohos does well for your heart.


Mate.... I heard about the Alcoho do to the heart, that is if taken in moderation. But as for a bottle of beer is like eating a bowl of rice ??? Ha ! I would like to see how you survive with beer only, and no other food ......

[Phlebas]

"I would like to see how you survive with beer only, and no other food ......" -- inner_cent

I've got some photos of myself from my college years... I can post them if you like! : )

[Kiki]

Guinness anyone?

[srt]

Neil,

You wrote:

"Well we used to do double dead leg lifts, sonkyo suburi and bouncing calf stretches for warmups too - gradually these antiquated training ideas will hopefully be replaced by more modern ideas."

I agree about the bouncing while stretching, and I don't know what double dead leg lifts are, but one of my sempai recommended I start practicing what I assume are sonkyo suburi (swinging the shinai while in sonkyo). Is this not recommended, or are you just saying there are better ideas/ways these days?

Thanks

srt

[Neil Gendzwill]

Sonkyo suburi is doing shomenuchi or saiumen while bouncing up and down in sonkyo. You used to see it for kaeshi doh practice, with motodachi standing in front and cutting men while you block and hit doh while bouncing (bounce-block-bounce-cut). You would also see people doing shomenuchi across the dojo, bouncing like bunny rabbits from one end to the other. Really tough quad workout. Also a really good way to blow your knees out.

Double dead leglifts are a warmup exercise we used to do. Lying on your back, keep both legs straight and raise them a little off the floor. Now lift them up perpendicular to the floor and then back down to just off. Do this on about a 1-second count (1000-up, 2000-down, 1000-up, 2000-down). This one is a lower back injury just waiting to happen.

[Charlie]

*note to self, no more double-leg deadlifts*

[PhilMcLaughlin]

I became aware of the debillitating effects of dehydration during beach holidays in the Mediterranian. I would get tired, find it difficult to focus and very argumentative - once id had enough water those problems would go away (beer wasnt helping then ;-)

a tough session can really hit your body fluid levels. Sweat isnt just water - there are lots of essential trace minerals that go with it

normally i try to drink about a half to a litre of plain water after training (before the beer)

if its very hot or an all day session ill use a rehydratyion package (used for diareeha sp?) in a litre of water because potassium shortage is a significant cause of cramp & its not easy to get (watch tennis and se players eating bananna a good source of potassium - but i dont like them).

if you dont want to pay then 1 desertspoon sugar plus one teaspoon salt in a litre is a prettyy good alternative

drink water !
cheers

[Charlie]

Eight-two degrees Fahrenheit in the dojo last night. You can bet we took a water break.

[emitbrownne]

Originally posted by Flashman
Technical question for us rookies. How do you hydrate during class whey you have your men on. Go dry or sports bottle with long straw?

I use a CamelBak refill (used by walkers and cyclists). This is a strudy plastic bag with a flexible pipe coming from it. On the end of the pipe is a bite activated valve, so there is no water spillage when not slurping. The pipe fits through the men without a problem.

the only problem is the jibes I get for drinking from an IV drip... :)

[Winter_Wolf]

Hello,
Heh, we actualy have a water fountain in the same room so I don't think rehydration is to big of an issue at my dojo!
Thanks,
W.W.