Urine Test For Athletes
However, what we fail to notice is the hard work, the precision, and the persistence. Their level of determination and commitment is what makes them extraordinary.
An athletic lifestyle involves aggressive physical activity and multiple dietary restrictions to maintain a physique in accordance with the sport they play. They keep track of their fitness through various ways like body and weight measurements, repetition maximum, blood pressure, etc. But what often remains overlooked, is a urine test.
Urine tests, while being safe and non-invasive unlike a blood test, help track parameters that play an essential role in athletic performance. Let’s take a look at these urine parameters;
Creatinine: It is a breakdown product of muscular metabolism. Creatinine levels are naturally higher in athletes as compared to normal people since their muscles work harder.The concentration of creatinine changes according to your muscle mass, but also according to your age, sex and weight. The normal creatinine levels for a man is between 6 and 12 ml/g and for a woman; between 4 and 10 ml/g.
Hydration Level: Hydrated cells are critical to get the most out of daily training and to facilitate quick recovery.Performance can be negatively impacted by as little as 2 to 3% body weight loss from sweat. Which is why it is very important to track hydration levels. Symptoms of dehydration include; lack of concentration, headaches, excessive tiredness, and muscle cramps.
Vitamin C(Ascorbic Acid) : Vitamin C is very vital in regeneration and repair of tissue. It also boosts the immunity levels of the body.Certain studies show that taking 400 to 3,000 mg of vitamin C per day for several days before and after intense exercise may reduce pain and speed up muscle strength recovery.
Magnesium: It plays a major role in providing energy to the body during physical activities. It also helps prevent fatigue and muscle soreness. The recommended daily amount of magnesium is 300 mg for men, & 270 mg for women. But these are based on the average population. Endurance athletes may have higher requirements as they produce more energy, use their muscles more, put a greater stress on their bones and sweat more, therefore losing higher amounts of magnesium.
Sodium: Sodium is responsible for many critical functions of the body, the most important one for athletes being the maintenance of the nervous and skeletal system.In vigorous exercise, or in warm weather conditions, an athlete may lose more than 1,000 mg of sodium per day. The primary cause of sodium loss is perspiration. Critically low levels of sodium sends the body into shock and has occasionally proved to be fatal too.A healthy person requires a maximum of 3,000 mg of sodium per day to maintain proper sodium/fluid balance.
Uric Acid: Uric acid levels of the body are directly related to bone and joint health. An increase in blood uric acid level leads to decreased bone density and stiff joints which are glaringly contraindicated for a performance athlete.