overexertion? dehydration?

Originally Posted by VaughnBeast

haha that does the trick for me and I pee in between periods lol.

In Men's Rec hockey, we get 30 seconds between periods.

Anyway you have a valid point Gatorade is too strong and rich. Powerade Zero is a zero calorie drink that isn't nearly as rich as the normal powerade/gatorade.

Originally Posted by ItechWarrior

In Men's Rec hockey, we get 30 seconds between periods.

with varsity they clean the ice between periods same with AAA minors

Gatorade packets actually have less high fructose corn syrup. Try it diluted with water as it's too sweet otherwise. Immediately post game or if you have at least 1 hour between games low-fat chocolate milk has the perfect ratio of protein:carbs.

Originally Posted by Jude

Gatorade packets actually have less high fructose corn syrup. Try it diluted with water as it's too sweet otherwise. Immediately post game or if you have at least 1 hour between games low-fat chocolate milk has the perfect ratio of protein:carbs.

I tend to mix 3/4 gatorade and 1/4 water

Back from the abyss... thanks for all the tips. I've heard the chocolate milk one a lot. I guess I'll have to try it, though the thought of drinking milk makes me gag. Good idea on diluting the packets too. It's awfully hard to resist a nice cold post game beer though. Ahhhh... so tasty. (I know, I know, that's probably the worst thing for you right?)

Great thread - I stumbled across it while researching how many calories we burn while playing goalie.

I've had plenty of experience with this from not only hockey, but triathlon training as well. Doing 6-8 hour bike rides or an 18 mile run in summer heat give you a crash course in hydration!

If you haven't dialed your hydration in yet, I'd recommend doing a "sweat test". Make sure you're adequately hydrated before the game through a combination of sports drinks/water. Sorry for this, but your pee will be slightly yellow, like a lemonade color. Clear= over hydrated, dark yellow= dehydrated. Weigh yourself before a game/practice & then immediately after. Record what fluids you drank during that practice. If you lost more than a couple of pounds, you probably need to up your fluid intake. The first time I had this done was in Colorado Springs back in 87, and I lost 10lbs in a game!

As far as fluid type, water doesn't replace electrolytes. Too much water can actually dilute the electrolytes you have left, causing an imbalance called hyponatremia, with symptoms similar to dehydration. I don't like Gatorade - too sweet for my taste, even when diluted 50/50. There are lots of others: Ironman Perform, Infinit (can be customized to your needs), Perpetuem, and, my favorite, Gu Electrolyte Brew. All of these should be available in powder form. I use the Blueberry Pomegranite flavor, as it has 2x the sodium. If you find you don't like these, you can try electrolyte pills (Sportlegs is one brand) taken with water, or tablets that are dropped into water (Nuun, for example). You'll have to experiment to see what is to your taste. Avoid solid foods/energy bars during high HR exercise as the stomach stops processing solid food. All of the above should be available at sports retail stores, cycling and/or running stores.

Recovery drinks are different, as your focus is on rebuilding the muscles you just tore apart through exercise. Chocolate milk is great, but, there are many others. The main thing is to add a little protein in addition to carbs to enhance muscle repair, so, have some lean protein with your beer!

I'll stop a few paragraphs short of a dissertation here. If I can help clarify anything, let me know! Good luck.

@yooper: How many calories do we burn playing goalie.

In terms of drinking, I make sure the day of the game to be adequately hydrated up to the game (primarily water). Then, I stop drinking about an hour before the game. Get in my last few pee breaks right before dressing. By the time I'm dressed, I'll have warmed up (some dynamic stretches, thrwoing and catching, things like that) and then 20 minutes of getting dressed. I'll start drinking Powerade Zero as I finish getting dressed as I'll have started lightly sweating at that point. I tend to drink only between periods. I'll drink 32 oz during the game/practice, another 32 oz bottle after the game on the way home and possibly a light beer after the game. Even that is probably not enough since I don't usually need to pee until mid morning the next day! I sweat a lot.

If you don't like Gatorade/Powerade (even the sugar free kind) there's something called HEED by Hammer nutrition which is High Energy Electrolyte Drink. It's a powder you can add to drinks. I found it on Amazon. I don't particularly like the taste and I like Powerade Zero, so it doesn't work for me but others (esp endurance athletes) swear by it.