Hydration

Gatorade, the official Sports Drink Supplier to Netball Australia highlights the importance of proper hydration before, during and after exercise to ensure peak performance.

Gatorade is the world’s most researched and number one sports drink, and there is little wonder why it is the sports drink of choice for our Australian Netball Team and Commonwealth Bank Trophy athletes.

Did you know?

Gatorade is formulated to rehydrate, replenish and refuel athletes when they need it most with the fluids and carbohydrates in Gatorade giving the players a 12% performance edge. For more information about the science behind Gatorade and hydration click here.

Australian and Sydney TAB Swifts shooter, Catherine Cox, who was recently tested at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Chicago, sees Gatorade as an essential part of her game plan: “The team at the GSSI spent a day testing my sweat rate and composition as well as my ability to replace fluid. They discovered I lose high levels of sodium, and developed a fluid and nutrition strategy tailored to my body’s needs. I’ve adopted a diet higher in sodium rich foods, and drink Gatorade with extra electrolytes added before, during and after training and matches.”

National Coach, Norma Plummer also knows the value of hydration for her athletes particularly when they are balancing the demands of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy with representing their country in the Australian Netball Team. “Nutrition and hydration have become an increasingly important focus for us. We recently chose to partner with Gatorade because it’s the most researched sports drink on the planet – and the science shows it helps the players perform better. “Drinking plain water is fine for everyday thirst, but when they’re active the players need something more.

The electrolytes in Gatorade help stimulate thirst receptors to increase the drive to drink, and encourage fluid retention to effectively rehydrate the body’s cells. “Players regularly drink a sports drink the day before training and matches to make sure they retain fluid and are well hydrated before they begin their session. During a match they aim to drink about the same amount of fluid as they’re losing in sweat – studies show that this just doesn’t happen if they just drink water. Active people normally only replace about 50% if they water alone – and often even less,” says Plummer.

Visit www.gatorade.com.au