Hydration for anglers means drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day, replacing electrolytes you sweat out, and watching for dehydration signs — because being out in the elements depletes you fast and quietly drains your energy over a multi-day trip.
Jenny Resmondo from South Alabama Physiotherapy is back on this Physical Friday to talk hydration, one of her three keys to a pain-free back. We cover how much water you actually need, how to pick electrolytes you’ll stick with, the quick checks for dehydration, and the cumulative dehydration I watched wear down anglers over a week on the water.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Jenny Resmondo encourages at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day, and more if you can — especially out in the elements fishing. You’re sweating and depleting fluids constantly, so you have to replenish, because our bodies thrive on water and our systems start to shut down without it. The old “eight glasses” rule is just a rough guideline.
Because water alone isn’t enough — you need electrolytes to open the cells and let the water in. Drinking too much plain water without electrolytes can cause hyponatremia and a cascade of problems. Sodium, magnesium, and potassium matter most, which is why I pay close attention to them and Jenny coaches people to replace what they sweat out.
Jenny recommends choosing by taste, because if it tastes bad people won’t drink it. There are many options — electrolyte supplements, sports drinks, table salt on your food, and coconut water, which has sugar that helps sodium absorption. For anyone with a cardiac issue she’s careful about potassium and sends them to their physician for proper dosing. Find one you like and you’ll actually use it.
Jenny points to a few quick checks: the color of your urine — dark or strong-smelling means you need more water; the skin-turgor test — pinch the skin on the back of your hand and it should bounce right back, not linger; and thirst itself — by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. These are easy to check throughout the day.
It’s the slow deficit that builds over a multi-day trip. You don’t quite drink enough on day one, fall a little further behind on day two — plus coffee, beer, and heat — and by day four or five you’re depleted and can barely stand for twenty minutes. As a guide I kept a gallon jug in the boat and finished it before trailering the boat each day, and it dramatically improved my energy over consecutive days.
Jenny’s three are: hydrate your body, move and stay flexible, and do core strengthening. And the thread tying them together is consistency — you have to keep moving, and as soon as you think you’re good enough, keep going. Hydration is the piece people most often overlook, but all three together are what keep your back healthy.
Everyone’s heard “eight glasses a day,” but Jenny points out there’s nothing scientific about that number. Her rule of thumb is at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily, and more when you’re outside in the elements. Out fishing you’re sweating and depleting constantly, and our bodies thrive on water — without it the systems start shutting down. I know clients who drink almost nothing all day and I can’t understand how they function. She lays out the targets in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here’s what I’ve been learning: water alone isn’t enough. You need electrolytes — sodium, magnesium, potassium — to open the cells and actually get the water in, and overdoing plain water without them can cause hyponatremia. Jenny tells people to pick an electrolyte source by taste, because the best one is the one you’ll actually drink. Sports drinks, salt on your food, and coconut water all work, with extra care for anyone with a cardiac issue. She explains it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Jenny gave a few quick checks anyone can do. Look at your urine — dark or strong-smelling means you’re behind. Do the skin-turgor test by pinching the skin on the back of your hand; it should snap right back, not linger. And pay attention to thirst, because once you feel it, you’re already dehydrated. Simple checks, but they tell you exactly where you stand throughout the day. She demonstrates them in the episode, so press play in the player above.
I watched this pattern my whole career: anglers strong early in the week, then fading day by day until they could barely stand for twenty minutes. It’s rarely one bad day — it’s a slow deficit, made worse by coffee, beer, and heat. My fix as a guide was a gallon jug in the boat that I’d finish before trailering each day, and it dramatically improved my energy over consecutive days. I tell the whole story in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the hydration habits and the three keys Jenny lays out for staying healthy on the water.
Jenny details each piece in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Hydration is the piece people most often overlook, and it’s the one that quietly determines how you feel by day five of a trip. Jenny’s targets and quick checks make it easy to stay ahead instead of falling behind.
Pair hydration with daily movement and core work, do all three consistently, and your back — and your energy — will thank you. You can reach Jenny at succeedwithpt.com. Press play in the player above for the full conversation.
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
Jenny Resmondo · South Alabama Physiotherapy · succeedwithpt.com · hydration · electrolytes · sodium · magnesium · potassium · hyponatremia · skin turgor · coconut water · cumulative dehydration · core strength · Physical Friday
I’m Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast’s Physical Friday series I share the training, mobility, nutrition, and mindset work that keeps me — and the guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen who listen — strong enough to keep doing what we love for life.
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