Fuel, 3 of 9. From Week 3 of the Hockey IQ book.
From the locker room: My water bottle came home from school full every single day for years. Then I cramped along the boards in the third period and my coach asked one question: how much water did you drink today. Now it goes everywhere with me.
The rule: Drink water all day, not just at the rink. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Pale yellow means you’re good.
Why: Mild dehydration slows reaction time and kills endurance. You’re in twenty pounds of gear in a cold, dry building that fools you into thinking you’re not sweating. You are. Most players show up already behind from the school day.
What water does: temperature, focus, muscle function, recovery. A cramp in the third period is usually a hydration problem from the morning.
What to drink:
- 🟦 Water all day
- 🟦➕ Water or a sports drink during long or intense games, heavy sweating, multi-game days
- 🥛 Milk or water after the game
Sports drinks have a place on long, hot, two-game days. Everyday, water is better and skips the sugar. Energy drinks: no. They don’t make energy, they borrow it, and you pay it back with worse sleep.
The habit: Bottle goes to school full, comes home empty. Game day: finish one bottle before you get to the rink. Long straw if you’re a goalie.
Make it: Infused Water. Slice one combo thin and drop it in the bottle: lemon + cucumber, orange + mint, strawberry + basil, watermelon + mint. Refill over the same fruit all day.
Parents: the long version, with the stories, is on the Athlete Nutrition guide.
FIND. A. WAY.
