Performance rarely disappears overnight.
It fades.
You react a fraction slower. Your legs feel heavier than they should. A session that felt easy last week suddenly feels like hard work.
Most people blame fitness.
Sometimes, it's hydration.
The average person loses 0.5 to 2 litres of sweat every hour during exercise. In hot conditions, some athletes lose more than 3 litres an hour. The catch? Most of us have no idea how much we actually sweat.
And sweat isn't just water.
The biggest thing you lose is sodium, not magnesium, not potassium. Sodium is the body's main electrolyte and helps maintain fluid balance, nerve signalling and normal muscle function.
Here's something even more surprising: two people can finish the exact same workout and have completely different hydration needs. One athlete might lose 400 mg of sodium per litre of sweat. Another can lose more than 1,800 mg. Genetics plays a huge role, which is why hydration advice should never be one-size-fits-all.
Want to know your sweat rate? It's surprisingly simple. Weigh yourself before and after training. Every 1 kg of body weight lost is roughly equal to 1 litre of fluid. It's one of the easiest ways to build a hydration plan that's actually based on your body.
Another myth? Clear urine doesn't automatically mean you're perfectly hydrated. It can simply mean you've drunk a lot recently. Likewise, feeling thirsty isn't always a reliable guide during exercise, especially in long or intense sessions.
The best athletes don't just train hard. They prepare well.
Hydration isn't about drinking as much water as possible. It's about replacing what you've actually lost.
Whether you're running a marathon, lifting weights, working on the farm, chasing your kids or playing hockey on bikes...
Athletes come in all disguises.