After 150 years of Australian Football in this country, the time has come to celebrate all that’s great about the game through a battle between Victoria the Dream Team. With such a tight Tribute Match upon us, both Victoria and the Dream Team will be on the look out for any possible advantage over their rivals. Powerade, along with sports dietician Liz Broad, haven taken a close look a hydration and its role in sport.
In the past it was thought that getting through a game without drinking any fluids “toughened you up,” when in fact it was doing the exact opposite. We now know that active hydration doesn’t make you soft, it helps our stars form both teams in the Hall of Fame Tribute Match to perform at their peak for longer.
Why is hydrating important?
Players from both teams in the Tribute Match can cover up to 20km a game, and in order to ensure they perform at their optimum skill and performance level, hydration must be maintained.
The practicalities of hydrating
The amount of fluid loss of Victorian and Dream Team players throughout the Hall of Fame Tribute Match is very specific to the environmental, physical and clothing demands of sport, and there is also a large individual variation in sweat rates. Consider if the game was being played at the same time of year in Brisbane compared to the MCG: during late winter or early spring temperatures may differ by up to 15-18oC, and there may be significant variations in direct sunlight.
Staying on top of hydration isn’t just for our game’s best players, it’s important for players of any level. Maintaining hydration levels throughout a game helps players keep their eye on the ball, monitor opponents and react quickly to teammates for longer.
Powerade Performance System
The Powerade Performance System is a range of sports drinks, for pre-, during and post-activity, which deliver effective hydration with additional benefits to all players that will be participating in the Tribute Match, celebrating Australian Football 150 Years. The Powerade Performance System includes Powerade Energy Edge with caffeine, Powerade Isotonic and Powerade Recovery with protein.
Suitable for active people at all levels from Victoria’s Jonathan Brown to NAB AFL Auskick kids, the three Powerade Performance System products work together for maximum performance or can be used in isolation and tailored to specific sporting occasions including pre, during and post sport.
Powerade Energy Edge is scientifically formulated and proven to boost the AFL’s star players to their peak faster, providing fast and effective hydration as well as an added pre-sport energy boost. Powerade Recovery is a unique formulation of carbohydrates, electrolytes and protein and can help speed up player recovery times, particularly after a hard fought game of AFL.
