Hydration Changes Over The Decades
Hydration is considered a vital part of athletic performance and physical health by coaches and trainers nowadays. But it was not always so.
Back in the 1950’s, Australian swimmers were told to avoid hydration at all costs prior to a race. “I remember diving into the Olympic finals and tasting the water with my mouth,” said the late Australian Olympic swimming hero Murray Rose. “I was so thirsty before my swim that I felt like drinking the pool water.”
“We used to stop every hour to drink,” recalls Dr. Penny Dean, the former English Channel record holder and still current Catalina Channel record holder. “I even remember one swimmer who took only 2 feeding stops across the Catalina Channel.”
How times have changed with most open water swimmers and triathletes now taking hydration frequently before, during, and after workouts…and more frequently than every 60 minutes in channel swims.
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Swimming
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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