Hydration for Karateka

Refreshing glass of water by Bergius. CC: BY-NC-SA

Photo by Bergius. CC: BY-NC-SA

Karateka and author Chris Denwood, Sensei has penned a nice article on The Importance of Water for people in training – a topic I’ve written about before. Although there isn’t a universal recognition of this issue, some scientists believe that chronic dehydration is linked to a range of diseases.

75% of people around the world are chronically dehydrated.

This is amazing on the surface, when you consider that people are drinking so much – coffee, softdrinks, alcohol, energy drinks, etc. But how much is enough? Well some experts state that you should drink a litre of water per day per 25kg of body weight. I don’t know many people that would actually do that!

alcohol and many soft drinks actually steal water from the body and other beverages such as coffee require water from the body to be digested.

It seems like good, old fashion, natural water is the best thing. The 25 litres/kilogram guideline applies to water only. Other drinks are at best neutral, but most require you to add more water in order to be correctly hydrated. One rule of thumb is that every cup of coffee, softdrink, alcohol means you should add the equivalent quantity of water back into your system.

Of course, this is a base level – when we train hard we need to replenish the water lost through perspiration.

A recent piece in The Conversation pointed out that softdrinks in particular are a growing problem in modern society, and that the levels at which they are being consumed present a growing public health issue.

I’ve come to the opinion that it’s not just the sugars in softdrinks (which are bad in and of themselves), but the chemicals in diet softdrinks are also a factor in the obesity epidemic, and serve to reduce people’s satiety levels.

This is a double-whammy. As Chris said in his post:

In over a third of all people, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

So people have reduced satiety levels from drinking too much diet softdrink, and they are also dehydrated, leading to more hunger! Not a healthy mix.

In the old days, karateka were often not allowed to drink water during class. We were told that sweating was good for us. In the Kengokan Dojo, I allow regular “water breaks”hydration pauses”, and insist people have some, especially during hard sessions or when the weather is particularly hot! I believe every instructor should take the same approach.

So for all reading this:

  1. Make sure your base level of water consumption is appropriate
  2. Eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, the amount of softdrink you’re consuming
  3. Take regular hydration pauses during your training

Oh, and one more thing – if you’ve not subsribed to Chris Denwood’s blog, do yourself a favour and do so now. Or follow @chrisdenwood on Twitter.

The Applied Karate Show Episode 14 – Chris Denwood Sensei

Applied Karate #014 (mp3 – 27MB – 60 mins) DOWNLOAD EPISODE 014 OF THE APPLIED KARATE SHOW

Kicking off our new monthly schedule of podcasts in The Applied Karate Show podcast series is episode 14, featuring Chris Denwood sensei of the Eikoku Satori Karate-do Kyokai (E.S.K.K®).

Chris has been practicing martial arts since childhood, having started under the watchful eye of instructors like Doug James sensei of the British Karate-Do Chojinkai and Iain Abernethy sensei (guest on Episode 9 of The Applied Karate Show podcast), and currently holds the rank of 4th Dan with the English Karate Federation. He is Founder and Chief Instructor of the E.S.K.K® and a senior instructor with the British Karate-Do Chojinkai, one of the most respected and successful associations in the UK. He is also a nationally qualified fitness coach and advanced level kettlebell lifting instructor.

A columnist and key writer for Combat, Traditional Karate and Jissen magazines, as well as a regular contributor to a number of other martial arts/fitness periodicals and online publications, Chris has written over sixty pieces on subjects including the technical and pragmatic aspects of traditional karate, functional fitness, kettlebell lifting and general motivation/positive thinking.

Chris is also author of the internationally acclaimed two-disc kata bunkai DVD Acorns to Oak Trees and has recently published his first book entitled Respecting the Old Creating the New, which is an accumulation of around five years work, combining a selection of his articles on traditional karate for self-protection and personal growth.

Chris currently lives on the edge of the western Lake District in Cumbria, England, where he regularly trains with and teaches to a dedicated membership of karate practitioners and fitness enthusiasts. He is also active on the seminar circuit, where his courses and workshops have gained excellent reviews from martial artists nationwide.

I trust you enjoy this interview with Chris Denwood sensei, a karateka who struck me as being very sincere, thoughtful and dedicated to the pursuit of classical karate. Chris discusses his approach to karate and strength and conditioning training, his background, his 2010 trip to Okinawa and much more. You can get in touch with Chris sensei through the web links above.

We love feedback. Email can be sent to podcast@appliedkarate.com. For up-to-date info on the Applied Karate Show, follow us on Twitter – we’re @appliedkarate. Of course, you can leave a comment below, or join us for the ongoing conversation on The Applied Karate Show Facebook page at Facebook.com/appliedkarate.

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