Real Hydration: More Than Just Water
By Leroy Saunders | Strength & Conditioning Coach, Fight by Design
In the world of performance coaching, hydration advice is often reduced to clichés: “Drink more water,” “Stay hydrated,” or “Sip all day.” You’ll hear it echoed across gyms, weight rooms, and recovery zones. But when you step into the arena of high level athletic performance, especially for fighters, CrossFit athletes, and endurance competitors, these oversimplifications miss the mark.
Real hydration is not just about water consumption. It’s a precise physiological process — one that governs how you perform, recover, and even think under pressure.
“You can survive for weeks without food, but only a few days without water.”
We understand this at a surface level. But few athletes truly grasp what it means when applied to plasma volume, electrolyte concentration, or the difference between drinking water and actually being hydrated.
WHAT IS HYDRATION, REALLY?
Hydration is not just water intake, it’s fluid balance across cells, tissues, and organs. Effective hydration means that water reaches and is absorbed by cells, a process that requires electrolytes to support osmotic balance and cellular function.
As Dr. Andrew Huberman (Stanford neuroscientist) notes, hydration is controlled by the hypothalamus through detection of blood osmolality, the concentration of solutes like sodium. In response, hormones like vasopressin regulate thirst and water retention to maintain equilibrium.
When this system is optimized, we maintain performance critical functions such as:
Muscle contraction
Cognitive focus
Core temperature regulation
Recovery from physical stress
But when it’s off, even by 1–2%, performance suffers.
Water Alone Falls Short
Distilled or filtered water may taste clean, but it lacks minerals. Drinking plain water in isolation, especially around training, can dilute plasma sodium levels, a condition known as hyponatremia. In endurance athletes or fighters training in heat, this can be dangerous.
True hydration requires electrolytes. More specifically, the right ratios of them.
The Core Electrolytes That Matter
These five electrolytes are the backbone of cellular hydration and performance:
Sodium (Na+): Crucial for blood pressure, nerve signaling, and muscle contraction. It's the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, and arguably the most misunderstood due to decades of misguided low-salt messaging.
Potassium (K+): Works hand in hand with sodium for nerve transmission and muscle function.
Magnesium (Mg2+): Supports over 300 enzymatic reactions, including ATP production and neuromuscular function. Even optimal diets rarely provide enough.
Calcium (Ca2+): Needed for muscular contraction and bone health.
Chloride (Cl−): Helps maintain fluid balance and pH regulation.
These minerals work in synergy. Supplementing just one (e.g. magnesium) without balance will not correct poor hydration.
Key side note on magnesium, even if you ate a perfect diet, you would still not get enough in daily, due to this vital minerals role in our bodies its one of the top 3 supplements we suggest for every person as well, in our out the gym.
Debunking the Sugar Myth in Sports Drinks
Electrolyte drinks like Gatorade or Liquid I.V. contain added sugar to support glucose sodium co-transport, a mechanism that can enhance absorption during ultra-endurance events.
But for most fighters and CrossFit athletes training under 2 hours, this added sugar offers no benefit and can in fact impair hydration by causing blood sugar spikes, GI distress, and reduced fluid retention.
Sugar is a performance fuel when timed correctly, not a hydration requirement.
WHY do brands like WILDER stand
Many products claim to be “hydration solutions,” but few are designed for fighters or high output athletes. Wilder is one of the few brands that meet the physiological demands of elite performance.
1. Sodium Dominant Formula
With ~1000mg of sodium per serving, Wilder replaces what athletes actually lose in sweat, not the watered down versions made for mass markets.
2. Full Spectrum Electrolytes
Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride in ratios that reflect real world loss profiles.
3. Zero Sugar, Zero Nonsense
No artificial additives. No gut-disrupting sweeteners. Just clean, bioavailable minerals.
4. Bonus: L-Theanine
A unique addition, L-Theanine supports mental focus, making it especially useful for combat sports where sharpness is as critical as strength.
The Brain-Body Loop: Huberman’s Perspective
Even mild dehydration (1–2% of body weight lost through sweat) can significantly impact:
Reaction time
Visual tracking
Cognitive clarity
Decision-making under pressure
For fighters, these aren’t small metrics, they’re the difference between a clean counterstrike or getting caught off guard.
Hydration isn’t just physical. It’s deeply neurological.
How Much Do You Really Need?
There’s no one-size-fits-all rule, but here are practical guidelines based on athlete bodyweight, climate, and intensity:
Daily Baseline (Non-Training Days):
Water: 30–40 mL/kg bodyweight
Electrolytes: 1 sachet Wilder daily, split AM/PM
High-Intensity Training Days (CrossFit, Fighters):
Before:
300–500mL water + 1 sachet Wilder
During:
500–750mL/hour with Wilder
Adjust based on sweat rate
After:
Replace 1.2–1.5L per kg bodyweight lost in training
Rehydrate with Wilder + carbs + protein
How to Individualize: The Sweat Test
1. Measure Your Sweat Rate
Weigh yourself before and after a 60-min session
Add the volume of water consumed
(Pre weight – Post weight) + fluid consumed = total sweat loss
2. Match Your Electrolytes
0.5L sweat/hour → ~500–700mg sodium (½ Wilder sachet)
1.0L sweat/hour → ~1000mg sodium (1 sachet)
1.5L+ sweat/hour → ~1500mg sodium (1.5 sachets)
Most fighters lose ~1000mg sodium/hour, especially in heat or heavy kit.
ELECTROLYTE COMPARISON
1. Wilder
🔹 Sodium: 1000 mg
🔹 Potassium: 600 mg
🔹 Magnesium: 100 mg
🔹 L-Theanine: 40 mg (for mental performance, unique to Wilder)
🔹 Sugar: 0 g
🔹 Artificial Additives: None
Wilder stands out with high dose, full spectrum electrolytes + a nootropic (L-Theanine) for cognitive focus.
2. Gatorade (Standard 20oz Bottle)
🔹 Sodium: ~270 mg
🔹 Potassium: ~75 mg
🔹 Sugar: ~34 g
🔹 Magnesium/Other Minerals: None
🔹 Artificial Additives: Yes (colors, flavors, preservatives)
Designed for mass market sports rehydration, but high in sugar and lacking magnesium.
3. Liquid I.V. (Hydration multiplier)
🔹 Sodium: ~500 mg
🔹 Potassium: ~370 mg
🔹 Magnesium: ~60 mg (trace)
🔹 Sugar: ~11 g (as glucose for co-transport)
🔹 Artificial Additives: Yes
Marketed with cellular transport technology (glucose sodium co-transport), but too sugary for most fighters.
4. LMNT
🔹 Sodium: 1000 mg
🔹 Potassium: 200 mg
🔹 Magnesium: 60 mg
🔹 Sugar: 0 g
🔹 Artificial Additives: No
Strong on sodium, clean formula. Less potassium than Wilder and no cognitive support.
5. Nuun Sport (Tablets)
🔹 Sodium: 300–400 mg
🔹 Potassium: 150 mg
🔹 Magnesium: 25–40 mg
🔹 Calcium: 13 mg
🔹 Sugar: ~1 g
🔹 Artificial Additives: Yes (some products use stevia, citric acid, flavor enhancers)
Moderate electrolyte profile but less suitable for heavy sweaters or intense athletes.
Wilder is the only brand here to include L-Theanine, making it ideal for fighters or athletes who train under stress or want to stay mentally sharp.
Magnesium is critical for muscle function and energy; Wilder provides one of the highest clean doses (100 mg) per serving.
Sodium is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, Wilder and LMNT are the only two that meet the needs of high intensity athletes (~1000 mg).
Potassium is often overlooked, Wilder includes 600 mg, which is 3x more than LMNT.
PRO TIPS TO MAXIMIZE HYDRATION
Don’t chug water, sip regularly. Chugging leads to fast urination and poor absorption.
Hydrate early. Morning hydration (especially before coffee) affects energy and cognition for hours.
Use chilled (not iced) water in hot environments. It improves taste and encourages intake.
If you train in high heat, Pre-load. Start with a full sachet of Wilder 60–90 min before.
Athlete urine test: Pale yellow = good. Dark yellow = underhydrated. Clear all day = overhydrated (diluted sodium).
key takeaway for you
True hydration is strategic, physiological, and essential to every aspect of performance, from muscle function and endurance to mental clarity and recovery.
It’s not just about avoiding cramps, it’s about enabling your body to deliver oxygen more efficiently, fire nerves faster, and perform at its highest capacity.
If you're training like a fighter or performance athlete, then hydrate like one, with electrolytes that match your output, not just water that fills your bottle.
Dont take my word for it, try it yourself, nothing beats real world application.
Be sure to check out WILDER for more on this life changing electrolyte and how you too can get your hands on it!
Don't just fight - Fight by design
Resources:
Andrew Huberman, PhD – Huberman Lab Podcast
Episodes on hydration, electrolyte balance, and thermoregulation
Ep: Master Your Sleep & Hydration for Performance
Ep: Heat & Cold for Performance
Website: hubermanlab.com
Stacy T. Sims, PhD – Exercise physiologist specializing in hydration for athletes, especially fighters and female athletes
Book: “ROAR”
Research: Hydration needs by sex, sport, and intensity
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