Being properly hydrated is an essential task when training Jiu Jitsu. Practicing Jiu Jitsu, especially live rolling, is a physically demanding combat sport that can cause a person to sweat and sweat a lot. Add on to the fact that Jiu Jitsu is often practiced in a full pajama-like uniform called a GI, one can quickly sweat out fluid and electrolytes leading to dehydration. Dehydration can leave you feeling fatigued, dizzy, headachy, and can cause muscle cramps while trying to train. Severe dehydration can even be life threatening if left untreated. In a properly hydrated state, you can experience better physical performance, increased cognitive function, and quicker and easier recovery after a hard training session. So how do you properly hydrate for Jiu Jitsu training?
To properly hydrate for Jiu Jitsu training you must hydrate before, during, and after training by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. Water and salt or sodium supplements are the best options to achieve a proper hydration status for training and after-training recovery.
At the time of this writing, I’m a 40-year-old 225lb Jiu Jitsu practitioner who does sweat a lot, particularly when practicing wrestling and live rolling. In my early days of Jiu Jitsu, I didn’t pay much attention to hydration. I would drink minimal amounts of liquids with meals throughout the day and show up to practice with a water bottle taking sips every now and then. The result after a hard training session would be extreme fatigue at the end of training and extreme soreness and lethargy the next morning. I would also experience frequent muscle cramps during training where I would need to pause training to allow the cramp to subside.
I told my brother, an ultra runner, about my symptoms and he immediately keyed me in on proper hydration and the need to increase fluids and electrolytes when sweating for long periods of time. After much research and experimentation, I was able to dial in a routine that works well for me. When I’m able to follow this routine my performance is better, I sleep better, feel less fatigued during training and after, and recover much faster. In this article, I share my exact process and items that I use to properly hydrate before, during, and after training. What I share below works for me, but I would encourage you to experiment with what will work for you. Your size, amount of sweat, training intensity, training length, room temperature, and other factors will all play a role in how much you sweat and how much fluid and electrolytes you will need to replenish. Read on to see my exact process and what I use for hydration.
Everything I drink and take to hydrate for a hard day of Jiu Jitsu training
Here is a list of all of the liquids and electrolyte supplements I currently use for hydrating for Jiu Jitsu training:
- Coffee- 2 cups of simple brewed coffee with a tablespoon of maple syrup and a splash of oat milk.
- Spindrift- One to two cans of Spindrift sparkling water
- Gatorade Zero- One 12 oz. bottle. I buy it by the case at Costco and rotate between Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, and Cherry Thirst
- Water- Water straight from my sink
- SaltStick FastChews- 60-count tablet bottle. My favorite flavor is lemon lime.
- Nuun Tablets- I use the Nuun Sport 10 tablet version and again prefer the Lemon Lime flavor.
What water bottles do I use?
I currently use two ThermoFlask 40 oz double wall vacuum insulated stainless steel water bottles. These are usually nicely priced and come in two packs. These bottles are great because of their low cost, large size, and excellent performance. I use one at home to drink out of throughout the day and another to bring to training. I like that they have a minimal design on the bottle and allow for Jiu Jitsu stickers to be stuck to them. They perform very well keeping drinks cold and zero sweating on the outside of the bottle. They are also very rugged. Bringing anything to Jiu Jitsu has the potential to get banged up and broken, but these bottles have withstood multiple drops and smashes thus far.
Goals for hydrating for Jiu Jitsu training
Goals for hydrating for Jiu Jitsu training are to pre-hydrate before class, hydrate during class, and replenish fluids and electrolytes after class. Hitting these goals has helped me feel better and last longer on and off the Jiu Jitsu mats.
Hydrating before Jiu Jitsu class
Hydration before class is essential to peak performance on the mats and for avoiding states of dehydration during class. If you are not properly hydrated leading up to training your probability for dehydration increases quickly and is hard to reverse by trying to make up by quick large amounts of fluid intake. I wake up around 0700 and start class at 1800, between those times I work up a prepared hydration state throughout the day.
Upon waking up I make a cup of coffee and prepare my first 40oz of water in my Thermo Flask. In my ThermoFlask, I add 1 Nuun Sport tablet and a small amount of ice as I like my drinks cold. I’ll have my coffee in the morning and slowly drink the 40oz bottle of water throughout the day. At lunchtime, I’ll take my bottle of water with me and often have a sparkling water product like a Spindrift for a change-up in taste. Around 1500 I usually will have a snack and a second coffee cup. I’ll leave for Jiu Jitsu class around 1700 and a 70-minute minute commute to my school. I will prepare a second 40oz bottle of plain water to bring to Jiu Jitsu class. On the drive, I will finish off my first 40oz water bottle if I haven’t done so yet. About 30 minutes out from class I will take two SaltStick Fast Chews. At this point I know I’m fully hydrated and ready to rock.
Here is a table outlining my pre-Jiu Jitsu class hydration routine.
| Time | Product | Amount |
| 0700 | Coffee | 8oz |
| 0700-1800 | Water with Nuun Tablet | 40oz |
| 1200 | Sparkling Water | 12oz |
| 1500 | Coffee | 8oz |
| 1730 | SaltStick Fast Chew | 2 Chews |
Hydrating during Jiu Jitsu class
If it’s hot and you’re sweating a lot, you will probably need to replenish fluids during class again to stave off dehydration. If I have a successful pre-hydration process before class I normally don’t drink too much unless I get thirsty or experience any cramping. During training, I will have my second 40oz bottle of plain water on hand for when I need it. If I’m heavily sweating, thirsty, or cramping I will take a break and take in some water as needed.
Hydrating after Jiu Jitsu class
Hydrating after class is as important as hydrating before class. If you’ve trained hard and sweat a lot, you will have lost a large amount of water and electrolytes. If you don’t replace these, your body may revolt, especially the next day. I’ve seen a large man lose 6 pounds in one practice just from sweat. On days when I’ve trained hard and not properly hydrated, I can barely get out of bed with a feeling of soreness and lethargy. In a proper pre and post-hydration state I bounce back much quicker and I’m ready for training the next day without issue.
I have my commute back home which takes about 70 minutes. The first thing I do is crack open a 12oz bottle of Gatorade Zero. I like the taste of these and they do a great job of replacing both fluid and electrolytes. I like the zero version as it doesn’t include all of the extra sugar. I do this after every class and the routine almost feels like a reward after a hard day of training. I will usually pretty quickly finish the Gatorade and move on to working on finishing the second 40oz bottle of water on the way home. I usually get home pretty late around 2200. I make it a goal to finish off the second 40oz bottle before going to bed, which usually isn’t a problem. If I’m still thirsty I will also cap off the day with a second can of sparkling water as I wind down for the night.
Here is a table showing my post-Jiu-Jitsu hydration routine.
| Time | Product | Amount |
| 2000-2030 | Gatorade Zero | 20oz |
| 2000-2300 | Water | 40oz |
| 2200-2300 | Flavored Sparkling Water | 12oz |
Results from this hydration regiment
The results have been astounding as an older grappler that needs time to recover. When I successfully implement my hydration routine I feel great on the mats and bounce back quicker making back-to-back practices at an intense pace possible. I went from having a hard time getting out of bed the next morning, to be ready to jump right back into another practice. At this point, I consider skipping practice or taking practice very easy if wasn’t able to implement my hydration routine beforehand. I highly recommend taking some stock of how you are currently hydrating yourself and then dialing a routine that works for you. Before training, have fluid and electrolytes available in excess to be lost, hydrate during training when you feel the need, and post-training replace lost fluid and electrolytes before bed.