Dave_W
Cones - not just for ice cream
I like to stress the importance of hydration, and staying ahead of fluid loss, to rookie autocrossers. Most underestimate the physical exertion in motorsports ("I've driven down the highway at 70+ mph, how hard can this be?"). And in autocross, when you're not driving you're standing around in a big, open parking lot with the sun beating down all day. I'll typically tell my students to drink a 12-16 oz. bottle of water an hour as a baseline (in CT on moderate days).
Dehydration can cause fatigue, confusion, dizziness, cramps -- all things that are very bad when trying to concentrate on placing a car very precisely at high speed. "If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated" is the mantra I've seen.
It's also much easier to get dehydrated than rehydrated (it can take a full day to fully recover from mild dehydration), so the key is to have a steady fluid intake that lets you pee regularly and monitor your urine color, and immediately take in more fluid at the slightest sign of dehydration. You need some electrolyte replacement as well; I usually do one bottle of Gator/Powerade for every two bottles of water. Getting low on electrolytes can also lead to cramping.
From Cleveland Clinic -
Most people would think the "mildly dehydrated" colors in this chart are fine and not increase their fluid intake. And then they get more dehydrated, fatigued, and only then start trying to rehydrate, but they're too far behind at that point.
www.health.nsw.gov.au
Dehydration can cause fatigue, confusion, dizziness, cramps -- all things that are very bad when trying to concentrate on placing a car very precisely at high speed. "If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated" is the mantra I've seen.
It's also much easier to get dehydrated than rehydrated (it can take a full day to fully recover from mild dehydration), so the key is to have a steady fluid intake that lets you pee regularly and monitor your urine color, and immediately take in more fluid at the slightest sign of dehydration. You need some electrolyte replacement as well; I usually do one bottle of Gator/Powerade for every two bottles of water. Getting low on electrolytes can also lead to cramping.
From Cleveland Clinic -
Autocross (and HPDE) probably doesn't need quite that much water, but it gives you an idea.
Most people would think the "mildly dehydrated" colors in this chart are fine and not increase their fluid intake. And then they get more dehydrated, fatigued, and only then start trying to rehydrate, but they're too far behind at that point.
Hot weather and heatwaves - Urine colour chart
This urine colour chart will give you an idea of whether you are drinking enough water. Hydrated means you are drinking enough and dehydrated means your body has lost water and you need to drink more to make up for the loss.
www.health.nsw.gov.au
