After Exercise

The greater the degree of dehydration, the greater the fluid requirement. However, since dehydration causes a delay in gastric emptying, dehydrated athletes should be wary of taking in large volumes of fluid at one time. Instead, athletes should continually sip on fluids until they feel the dehydration resolving itself. For athletes involved in sequential day practices or competition, the immediate postexercise period is an opportunity to replenish depleted glycogen stores. The enzyme glycogen synthetase is highest when glycogen stores are most depleted. This enzyme converts glucose to glycogen, so consuming high-carbohydrate foods, as tolerated, immediately after exercise is a desirable practice. This practice is inhibited by the relative degree of dehydration experienced by the athlete. The greater the degree of dehydration, the smaller the amount of food tolerated (because of delayed gastric emptying).