Tips for proper hydration before, during, and after a workout



Hydrating before, during, and after a workout session is quite a daunting task these days, mostly because athletes and people who like being in shape usually forget to drink enough water. Even worse, sometimes they consume energy and sports drinks that are carbonated and albeit packed with all sorts of electrolytes, don’t necessarily do anything useful in terms of hydration. Most of these drinks have a high content in preservatives and sugar.

Before a race, a training workout, or a run, you should drink as much water as possible and consume a bit of veggie juice, as well, if you have the time or availability. In the morning of the competition or event, it might be a good idea to drink two to three cups of water around two hours before joining the race. I’m giving you this piece of advice because it takes about two hours for your body to process the fluid, therefore creating the need to go to the bathroom. What this means is that you’ll be able to empty your bladder prior to the event and won’t feel uncomfortable while you’re running or training.

You ought to drink about five to ten oz. of water right before your workout session to maintain proper hydration. As for the amount you have to consume while you’re exercising, it all really depends on your weight and personal needs. Not everyone has to consume ten glasses of water per day, so it stands to reason that these amounts that I’m mentioning here have to be adjusted depending on your physical attributes.

After a workout, it’s extremely important to determine the quantity of fluid that you have lost while exercising. This can help you somehow determine the amount of water that you need to drink once again. You don’t need to overhydrate, just follow your guts. If you feel like you can’t drink any more, just stop. Monitoring the color of your urine is a good idea to tell if you’re properly hydrated or you need to drink some more water. As a general rule, your pee shouldn’t be orange or transparent; instead, it needs to be a very pale yellow.

As I was saying at the beginning of the article, you should try to stay away from overly processed juices and drinks. Try to make your own fruit and veggie juice and be sure to enjoy a cup of 1% milk or soy or almond milk if you’re a vegan. All of these liquids contain the right amount of electrolytes that you might require, so there’s really no need to add anything artificial like Gatorade.

Furthermore, some foods are packed with water whereas others are more concentrated. For example, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, and tomatoes are all rich in water content, so you might have to consume them as often as possible if hydration seems to be a problem for you.

Why do soccer players use shin guards?



Since soccer is a contact sport, it goes without saying that injuries are bound to happen at some point or the other. However, some of these unhappy occurrences can be prevented with the help of shin pads, also known as shin guards. The terminology doesn’t really matter as I’ve seen that some people prefer calling them one way whereas others like calling them the other.

Shin guards are paramount when it comes to protecting sensitive areas from tackles, knocks, and kicks. Unlike other bones in the human body, the shins are not insulated by tissue and muscle, which makes them considerably more vulnerable when exposed to all sorts of mishaps. Both the area where they’re located and the entire way that soccer is played makes it very likely for shin injuries to happen. In my opinion, you shouldn’t even be allowed to play a game of soccer if you aren’t wearing adequate protection, and coaches should really focus on this detail. What’s more, I believe that kids who play soccer should always wear shin guards particularly because their bone system hasn’t developed completely.

With regard to compulsory equipment, I have noticed that shin guards are more rigorously tested than other pieces you might have to wear before a match. They have to be made of a suitable material and offer more than reasonable protection. Of course, the main difference between shin guards destined for soccer and the ones that you would wear, for example, when practicing some mixed martial arts would be that they have to be entirely covered by socks. While this might look strange for a person who has never seen a soccer player in real life, the fact of the matter is that falls and other mishaps do tend to happen on the field, which is why your legs might be scratched and painful at the end of the match.

Metal-plated shin guards are prohibited because they can hurt other players by accident. Think of this way; if you’re in the middle of the game and you’re lucky enough to get the ball, there’s so much adrenaline going through your veins that you might not even pay too much attention to what’s happening around you. In spite of the fact that shin protection cannot guarantee you that you won’t get hurt, it’s a pretty reassuring type of equipment to wear. Plus, if you do come in direct and harsh contact with another player, the chance of one of your bones breaking in that specific area are greatly decreased if you wear proper protection.

In short, shin pads or guards are extremely important and you should avoid entering the field when you’re not wearing a pair. Things can get pretty rough on the field.

Why you should invest in proper protective equipment if you’re into any type of martial arts

I confess to being an avid sports fan. Well, considering there’s so much going on in my life at the moment, that is a confession in itself and it’s a big passion for me too. I enjoy watching all kinds of sports. I have even ventured into trying them out myself to see if I have enough of the happy gene in me to actually become an athlete. My initial efforts have been fruitful so far, but there’s no telling since I have gotten only basic training and played a few games here and there, but not much else. I would love for you dear readers to stay with me during my journey to hopeful sports stardom. Who knows where this could lead us, yes? I will not only be writing about the sports I have tried but shall also be doing equipment reviews. Do read on!





Protective equipment in martial arts is to be discussed in a sensible fashion and based on a number of aspects. It is best to study those aspects in terms of the impact and value of wearing protective gear against not wearing any at all, or not wearing enough. This is the premise of this article.



The importance of protective gear


This is quite apparent considering the many accidents or impacts the martial artist could incur during training. Something could inevitably go wrong to make your body vulnerable to injury or harm during sparring or practice. That being said, the next question that begs to be asked is,”Can there be too much protective equipment on the martial artist?” This is more a subjective matter than anything. What could be adequate for one may be excessive for another. There is, as yet, no clear mandate on how much is too much or too little in martial arts protective gear.


Protective equipment for modern martial arts

Taekwondo artists wear mouth guards or gum shields and padded head guards during competitions. Mouth guards and padded gloves are used by MMA fighters, kickboxers and boxers in general. Budo karate practitioners use boxing gloves, mouth guards, groin protectors, shin guards and even padded body protectors and head guards. Although Shoto Budo practitioners are admonished not to hit their opponents too hard, they are still encouraged to use protective gear to reduce incidences of injury or accidents.


Special helmets are used by kendo artists, along with body protectors and gloves to ensure safety during sparring and training especially when being struck with the bamboo shinai. A modern sport fencing trainee wears penetration-resilient clothing and a fencing mask to prevent injury to the body and face from the fencing weapon. In other words, since strikes and hits are inevitable, whether during practice or sparring, protective equipment shields against the impacts and injuries that arise from such incidences. Besides, if you spar with someone not wearing protective gear, you will be forced to be more ‘friendly’ with your strikes, which is an unfair advantage for your opponent who can hit you as hard as possible because you have protective equipment on.

The bottom line: It’s ultimately more valuable and important to have protective gear on and not need it than to not have anything on and need it, correct?

Two resources I highly recommend for this subject: and

Buying a punching bag and a pair of gloves – how much you should spend

Recently, I became interested in working out on my own. I do go to a studio where I practice mixed martial arts, but I often find it inconvenient due to my lack of spare time. With the busy lives we lead, it’s practically impossible to stay fit if you don’t get some workout at home or at least jog three or four times a week.


Since I personally enjoy boxing and martial arts, it was inevitable for me to start prospecting the market for a pair of gloves and a punching bag. Let me tell you that finding the right product is hard, and boy, do I mean it! On the one hand, you have to make sure that what you’ll be spending on the model is the right price, and on the other, you want to know that it’s made in such a way so that it lasts for a decent amount of time. I wasn’t going to spend over two hundred dollars on a heavy bag and then have the nasty surprise one day that it was broken.


12In my experience, there are two types of heavy bags you can buy nowadays. Either you go for one that hangs from the ceiling and there’s a high chance you won’t have to spend a lot of money it, or you choose the freestanding option and it will cost you a pretty penny. Century makes a lot of high-quality bags, some of which are freestanding, and the vast majority can be found to cost around two hundred dollars. Of course, it all depends on the money you have available for such an expense. I find two hundred dollars to be an off-putting price, particularly since a heavy hanging bag from Everlast could cost under one hundred dollars. So, in the end, it boils down to the installation method and what you’re comfortable with. Freestanding options might be excellent for people who really have no way of hanging anything on their ceiling or walls.


13Gloves are an entirely different part of the problem. Fighting gloves are different from the ones intended for training because they usually leave at least a part of the fingers open. Training models cover the entire hand, so I guess in this respect it depends on your skills and expertise. A nice pair of Everlast gloves can cost up to one hundred and fifty dollars and more. Again, I strongly advise you to save some money regularly and get a high-quality product instead of opting for a cheap one that definitely disappoints on all accounts.