Prioritising Effective Hydration for Optimal Health and Performance is Important
Staying hydrated is important for staying focused and creative during long composing or rehearsal sessions. If you want to know if you’re drinking enough, just look at your pee. It should be a clear pale yellow colour.
When you should drink more water:
- When you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- In warm places, like studios that don’t have air conditioning
- When working or exercising for long amounts of time
- While sick or recovering from illness
One key consideration is the consumption of caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, and energy drinks, which can act as diuretics, leading to increased water loss and hindering hydration efforts. Additionally, soft drinks, often consumed for a quick energy boost, can disrupt blood sugar balance and contribute to inflammation in the body, potentially increasing the risk of injury, particularly when combined with dehydration.
Composers can make strategic choices to support hydration despite their demanding schedules. Drinking water and water-based drinks is important throughout the day, but where food choices are also limited, milk-based drinks offer a valuable combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, making them a manageable option for sustaining energy levels and replenishing fluids.
Singers are particularly recommended to keep hydrated during the day for good vocal health.
Working environments should have free access to drinking water and/or access to refillable bottles to encourage hydration through water-based drinks rather than soft drinks/energy drinks from vending machines or convenience stores.
About one-fifth of the water you drink every day comes from the food you eat. Lots of fruits and veggies are great ways to get water. You might want to add some of these foods that are high in water to your daily diet: cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, yellow melon, broccoli, oranges, apples, blueberries.
For fruits, go for whole fruit rather than juices. In addition to being hydrating, whole fruits include nutrients and fibre, however fruit drinks can have high sugar content without the fibre.
Top tips for composers and musicians:
- Keep a water bottle at your workspace
- Take regular breaks to hydrate, which also gives your ears and mind a rest
- Select fruit and veg that are high in water for healthy snacks that will keep you hydrated
- Start your composition or rehearsal sessions well-hydrated
- Remember that caffeinated drinks like coffee can have a mild diuretic effect
