UB Sport branded water bottle in bottle holder on exercise bikeCategoriesMember News Nutrition

Summer of Nutrition: Keeping hydrated

Keeping hydrated this summer

Staying hydrated is important all year round but the warmer summer weather brings some additional challenges and considerations for the hydration strategies of athletes, gym goers, runners, etc. Here are some tips for staying hydrated whilst training this summer!

Why is hydration important?

 

Not drinking enough fluid leads to dehydration which is detrimental to both health and performance. Dehydration increases core body temperature, heart rate and even your perceived rate of exertion (making exercise feel even harder!).

 

Fluid is lost through breathing, urine and sweat (so you can see why people who are active in summer need to be proactive in staying hydrated!).

Glass of water on table

Tips to stay hydrated

  • Drink water to hydrate when you wake up and sip on water throughout the day.
  • If you struggle to drink plain water, try adding sugar-free squash or a lemon slice to your water to flavour it.
  • Aim to drink around 350-500ml in the 2-4 hours pre-exercise, or more if your urine is dark.
  • Add an electrolyte tablet to ~500ml of water to drink after intense training sessions (e.g., sessions longer than 60 mins in duration, or in the heat, where you sweated considerably) to replace the salts lost in sweat.
  • Use urine colour to gauge hydration status throughout the day. Drink more if urine is dark and ease off if urine is clear/colourless.
  • Don’t over consume fluids – particularly plain water without electrolytes if you have sweated considerably.

Watch the video here!

Rachel’s Instagram channel: @rcperformancenutrition

Boost your health with our facilities this summer
Hannah Pearce playing hockeyCategoriesAnnouncement

GB Sevens and South Africa Hockey selections for Olympics

GB Sevens and South Africa Hockey selections for Olympics

PATHWAY TO PARIS – Current University of Birmingham EDCAP scholar Hannah Pearce and alumna Heather Cowell have both been selected by their countries to represent their sport at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024.

Hannah will represent South Africa following selection for the Women’s Team in what will be her debut Olympics, having competed in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham back in 2022.

Credit @hannah_pearce02

Her selection holds even more weight as she battled to recover from a recent ACL injury that hampered not just her selection, but her playing career.

 

Part of the University’s Elite Dual Career Athlete Pathway, Hannah is studying for a MA Inclusion (Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties).

 

As well as on EDCAP scholarship, Hannah joined UoB on a Commonwealth Games Scholarship which supported her financially towards her tuition fees.

 

CWG scholarship was aimed at elite athletes from Commonwealth countries alongside the Games legacy of Birmingham 2022.

 

Following her injury, she received intensive interdisciplinary support to accelerate her rehabilitation and get her back to playing with the national squad, being based back in SA primarily since new year.

 

Part of EDCAP combines a holistic approach to supporting dual career student-athletes. Not only through S&C/physio supporting rehab, but input from nutritionists, psychologists, physiologist and performance lifestyle advisor.

Alumna Heather Cowell has been named in the GB Women’s Rugby Sevens Squad. Heather joined Birmingham as part of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) and was also a gymnast before committing to rugby.

Cowell actually performed gymnastics at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, competing at an international level until the age of 20.

Her rugby career has seen her play for Worcester Warriors and Harlequins, but it is on the international stage where she has continued to perform.

Selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games was followed up with taking part in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa, before a successful 2023 European Games confirmed GB’s qualification for Paris.

Heather Cowell scoring try
Credit @hevcowell
Team GB Hockey Olympics Paris 2024CategoriesAnnouncement

Birmingham Hockey Alumni make up third of Olympic Squad

Birmingham Hockey Alumni make up third of Olympic Women’s Squad

PATHWAY TO PARIS – Five Birmingham alumni have been selected to represent Team GB Hockey at this year’s upcoming Olympic Games 2024.

Amy Costello, Hannah French, Lily Owsley, Flora Peel, Anna Toman have been included in the 16-strong squad which was announced ahead of this week’s Team GB ‘Kitting Out’ media sessions at Birmingham NEC.

 

Current third year University of Birmingham scholar Lily Walker will be on stand-by for the Women’s reserve list which would take the total of Birmingham representation to six.

 

Lily Owsley on the hockey field

Birmingham’s most decorated current hockey international Lily Owsley has been selected for her third Olympic Games having previously enjoyed medal success in both Rio and Tokyo.

 

The women’s squad features a wealth of Olympic experience with four athletes from the Rio 2016 squad being selected for Paris.

 

Men’s alumnus Nick Banderak misses out on selection for the Men’s team, with over a third of the squad making their Olympic debut.

Women’s Head Coach David Ralph said: “A huge congratulations to the players that have been selected to represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Whether this is your fourth Games or your first, being selected for an Olympics is an incredibly special moment which I know means a lot to all of our players.

 

“The GB women’s squad has a long history at the Olympic Games, and we now have the opportunity to create our own history. This is our moment and our chance to create memories for life.

 

“To the whole squad, I want to recognise their hard work and dedication that they’ve shown for the whole cycle. They have all played and will continue to play a really important role in terms of making sure the selected squad go into the Games in the best position possible.”

The Paris 2024 Olympic Hockey squad:

Women:

· Giselle Ansley – Kingsbridge

· AMY COSTELLO – EDINBRUGH

· Fiona Crackles – Kirkby Lonsdale

· HANNAH FRENCH – IPSWICH

· Sophie Hamilton – Banbury

· Tess Howard – Cambridge

· Sarah Jones – Cardiff

· LILY OWSLEY – BRISTOL

· Hollie Pearne-Webb – Captain – Belper

· FLORA PEEL – CHELTENHAM

· Izzy Petter – Loughborough

· Miriam Pritchard (GK) – Oxford

· Sarah Robertson – second Games – Melrose

· Laura Roper – fourth Games – Sutton Coldfield

· ANNA TOMAN – DERBY

· Charlotte Watson – first Games – Dundee

Reserves for the women’s team:

· Grace Balsdon – Canterbury

· Jess Buchanan (GK) – Glasgow

· LILY WALKER – WALSALL

 

Men:

· James Albery –Hertford

· David Ames – Captain – Cookstown

· Will Calnan – first Games – Chobham

· Jacob Draper Grifiths Town – Pontypool

· Gareth Furlong –Cambridge

· David Goodfield –Telford

· Lee Morton – Glasgow

· Nick Park – Reading

· Ollie Payne (GK) –Torquay

· Phil Roper – Chester

· Liam Sanford – Wegberg Germany

· Rupert Shipperley – Cwmbran

· Zach Wallace – Caterham

· Jack Waller – Kingston

· Sam Ward – Leicester

· Conor Williamson – Esher

Reserves for the men’s team:

· James Mazarelo (GK) – Bowden

· Tim Nurse – first Games – Bournemouth

· Tom Sorsby – second Games – Sheffield

 

Mark Pearce SteeplechaseCategoriesAnnouncement Student News

Birmingham Talent Hub scholars on radar for Paris

Birmingham Talent Hub scholars on radar for Paris

PATHWAY TO PARIS – With the UK Athletics Outdoor Championships 2024 taking place in Manchester from 29 – 30 June, current student Oliver Dustin and alumni Issy Boffey, Mark Pearce and Sarah McDonald train hard to qualify and gain selection for Team GB at the Paris Olympics 2024. 

Oliver Dustin

 

Current Healthcare Technologies master’s student, Oliver, is an 800m runner originally from Workington. Running from the age of nine, he took every opportunity to get on the track through clubs, school and the University.

 

Back in 2021, Oliver temporarily held the fastest worldwide time in the Men’s 800m. He had a taste of Olympic level competition in Tokyo, but unfortunately didn’t secure a spot in the final race due to his performance at the heats.

 

After facing several challenges on his journey, including illnesses and injuries post Toyko Olympics, Oliver has remained positive and worked incredibly hard to get himself back on the track and performing optimally.

Ollie Dustin running
@danvernonphoto
Issy Boffey holding medal to camera

Issy Boffey

 

University alumna, Issy, is an 800m runner who graduated in 2022 with a degree in Biomedical Sciences.

 

Beginning her running journey at the young age of eight, Issy has numerous medals under her belt, securing gold in the U18, U20 and U20 European Athletics. She then progressed to senior level representation, securing first place at the 1,000m at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix.

 

2023 was a strong year for the athlete, achieving personal bests in the 800m indoors and outdoors, along with a winning national title at the British Indoor Championships.

 

Coached by Luke Gunn, Head of Performance at the University, Issy has become good friends with Luke and wife Hannah England outside of athletics!

Mark Pearce

 

Originally from Hertfordshire, Mark is a 3,000m steeplechase athlete who graduated in 2018 with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 

Mark was part of the BUCS Cross Country team at the University, and in his final year decided to try out steeplechase, as one of the few distanced running events he’d not yet done. That same year, he won first place in the England U23 championships.

 

Fast forward to 2021, he became the 3,000m steeplechase British champion. More recently in May 2024, Mark achieved his personal best in Brussels, to then be selected for Team GB at the European Athletics Championships this month in Rome.

Mark Pearce close up
@jrhodesathletics
Sarah McDonald on track
@jrhodesathletics

Sarah McDonald

 

Sarah is a middle-distance runner from Newcastle, specialising in the 1,500m. Graduating from the University with a degree in Medicine back in 2018, she is returning this year to embark on her journey into Dentistry

.

Over the last few years, Sarah has accumulated several GB titles. In 2017, she became a finalist in the European Cross Country championships, running the fastest leg of the day. Moving into 2018, Sarah competed in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, placing eight in the 1,500m.

 

In 2019 she became a semi-finalist in the Doha World Championships, topped by a gold finish at the European Cross Country mixed relay.

Our Paris hopefuls demonstrate impressive sporting journeys, and we now look to the end of June where we hope to see the Paris Olympics become the next part of their exciting paths.

Make sure to keep up to date with our #PathwayToParis journey via our blogs and Instagram channel.

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