Your body needs three things to function smoothly: energy (food), hydration (water), and rest (sleep). Cutting out one of these components would play havoc on your body and its ability to properly function, so you need to ensure that you are not lacking for either of them. If you are active you will notice that your need to stay hydrated is a bit more acute than if you did not play a sport. When you exert yourself two things happen:

1 Your body burns calories - Your body will burn calories in order to sustain a sufficient level of energy. This will keep you on your toes and ready to rock, and proper nutrition will ensure that you're fueled up enough to outlast your opponent. Many times it is not the player that wins, but the diet- the saying "you are what you eat" definitely applies here, as if you are able to outlast your opponent by keeping your A game on longer, victory will almost certainly be yours.

2 Your body expels moisture - You lose a lot of moisture simply by breathing, and that amount skyrockets when you are performing an intense physical activity. You don't have to sweat to become dehydrated, though sweating will amplify the effects of dehydration.

There is nothing worse than becoming dehydrated, especially when you are performing a physical activity. Many things may happen to you once you've reached a certain level of dehydration: you may feel ill, become dizzy or unbalanced, or even lose consciousness. Extreme dehydration will lead to death, though it is unlikely that you will encounter that situation at a fencing tournament.

There are several ways to ensure that you remain well hydrated throughout the course of the tournament:

1 Cut the junk from your diet - Get rid of high-salt foods and soft drinks. Both are the leading cause of hydration loss in North America. Contrary to popular belief, soft drinks don't hydrate you. In fact, they actually cause you to become even more dehydrated, defeating their purpose.

2 Drink lots of water - Drink a small bottle of water every half an hour. Sure, you'll have to pee a bit more, but the whole "staying alive" thing is more important than whether or not you have to pee more than usual.

3 Stay in the shade - Avoid spending too much time under the direct rays of the sun. Along with cooking your skin, it will cause the moisture from your skin to evaporate, forcing your body to replace it. Unless you are consuming boatloads of water it is generally a better idea to stick to the shade.

Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, should be avoided, as the energy that they provide is temporary at best, and they are known to dehydrate you. A tall glass of water is just what your body needs.

About the Author

Craig Harkins has been an active fencer for over 20 years and has been credentialed to report at the Beijing Olympic Fencing competitions. For more fencing news and fencing equipment, go to http://shop.fencing.net.