Every fighter of every art all has one enemy in common, one that can end a day quicker and more brutal than any shot from another fighter. Of course, I am speaking about dehydration. Dehydration can cause a good day to end a lot quicker than one would want it to, merely because without proper hydration, the body will shut down, and not be able to continue with what you want it to do. And at least in my martial art, that being the Society for Creative Anachronism, the out of doors event season is quickly coming, so knowing more about dehydration is key to enjoying your time on the field.
Even mild dehydration causes a detriment to athletic performance. In fact, studies show that “…decrements in physical performance in athletes have been observed under much lower levels of dehydration, as little as 2%. 38 Under relatively mild levels of dehydration, individuals engaging in rigorous physical activity will experience decrements in performance related to reduced endurance, increased fatigue, altered thermoregulatory capability, reduced motivation, and increased perceived effort. 40, 41.” (See Water, Hydration and Health, by Barry Popkin, Kristen E. D’Anci and Irwin H. Rosenberg [Inline citations theirs.])