Hot humid temperatures are just ahead of us. Last year after I succumbed to a minor heat stroke after a round, I started drawing from my knowledge of sports nutrition from back when I did my first hundred mile bike ride. (Embarrassingly I didn’t think of golf as a sport at the time). I radically changed what I consumed on the course. Without going into too much detail, dehydration will cause the viscosity of your blood to greatly increase and forces your entire body (inside and out) to have to work even harder just to maintain its metabolism. Also it has an adverse effect on your cognitive thought processes and basic motor skills. Then taking into account the vital minerals you lose: sodium, magnesium, and potassium which further causes cognitive and motor skill problems. So it’s not enough to just stay hydrated, you gotta put back what you lose. Here are two fantastic recommendations I use that made a big difference. (I just order them off Amazon) Drink ‘em down, and keep ‘em on the fairways and greens. OH! One more thing. We used to have a saying in cycling; “If you wait until you’re thirsty to drink, it’s already too late.” 😁
top of page
bottom of page
Plus, it takes at least 30 minutes for your body to use drinks, ie: water, electrolytes, that are cold. It has to reach body temperature. The two reasons I avoid drinking alcohol while playing in the heat: dehydration and I like to play a good round. I like to save it for the 19th hole. I always have a bottle of water for a round.