Staying well hydrated during exercise is a crucial goal of not only high-performance athletes, but more casual ones as well. You can get dehydrated very quickly if you don’t take proper precautions, especially if you are involved in rigorous physical activities.
Water is essential to the normal functioning of muscles, and H2O acts as a coolant for the body. Drinking enough fluid is crucial to avoid “bonking”or loss of endurance and performance during physical activity.
But beware: Drinking to thirst will not hydrate properly. An athlete gets thirsty after becoming dehydrated 1 percent of body fluid levels (the body is approximately 60 to 70 percent water). But performance loss also begins to appear at 1 percent. Runners dehydrated by 2 percent in 5K and 10K timed trials were 6 percent and 7 percent slower, respectively.
The popular rule of thumb for non-exercising individuals is to drink eight glasses of water a day. Athletes burn more calories, and their muscles generate 8-10 times more heat than non-athletes. With rigorous exercise and warm conditions, an individual can lose 2 to 3 liters of water per hour.
Checking your body weight before and after exercise is a simple way to determine your fluid needs. If you have lost 1 pound during exercise, you need to replace it with at least 16 ounces of fluid (a pint a pound). Another rule of thumb is to drink 8 to 12 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of exercise.
Carrying enough water to maintain proper hydration can be a problem. If you’re at the gym, carry a gallon of water with you. If you plan to exercise for extended periods of time, a back-mounted hydration system is recommended.
Water is all that is needed for most workouts. Most people drink what tastes good, so juices, sport drinks and soft drinks have become very popular. But it is not recommended to consume large amounts of juice or other sweetened beverages because of their high concentration of sugars. Carbonated soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks can actually have a diuretic effect, increasing fluid loss.
Don’t forget:
• Water has no calories, so consume freely
• Drink water before, during and after exercise
• Drink cool liquids; your body absorbs water most readily when it’s 50 to 60 degrees
• Drink 8 to 12 ounces of water every 20 minutes of exercise
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