The Best Way to Hydrate

As you know, hydration isn’t just about drinking water. Your body contains a specific fluid balance that can be disturbed with either too much or too little water or electrolytes. Read on to find out what the ideal fluid balance is for your training sessions!

The key functions of water for your body:

Your body is 60% water – how amazing is that! Water is what makes up most of your bodily tissues, fluids and cells.

Electrolytes:

These include:

Why you need to watch signs of dehydration:

If exercise performance is important to you, then hydration should be front of mind. When you’re lacking fluids, you’ll find you can’t train as hard or as long as you want to.
How do we define dehydration? It is considered as an exercise weight loss greater than 2%. 

Can you recognise these early signs of dehydration?

If you don’t correct the issue, it can lead to these (and worse!)

• Dizziness
• Increased weakness
• Laboured breathing with exercise
• Decreased sweat rate

Are you at risk of dehydration?

What are the conditions that affect sweat rates and fluid loss during exercise?

Environmental conditions such as:

• Hot climates reduce the difference between your skin and air temperature, challenging the body’s ability to effectively transfer heat to the environment
• Humidity compromises sweat evaporation as the air is already saturated with water vapour, reducing evaporative heat exchange
• Extreme cold and elevation can also impact the rate of sweat loss  

Fluid Recommendations:

Training for longer than 1 hour? Use a combination of electrolytes and carbohydrates. It is recommended that 30-60 grams of carbohydrates be consumed per hour to maintain the metabolism of carbohydrates and help delay fatigue. Thereafter, consume 600-1200ml of a sports drink every hour.

Extra Tips for Meeting Your Daily Hydration Needs:

1. Drink a glass of water right after you wake up.
2. Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day.
3. Know your sweat rate: Heavy sweaters = increased fluid needs!
4. Eat fruits and vegetables (primarily made up of water)
5. Set reminders to prompt you to refill your glass or water bottle throughout the day in order to stay on track with meeting your fluid needs.

Intra-Workout Top Products (Banned Substance Tested)

Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition

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Amino Energy + Electrolytes by Optimum Nutrition

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Always speak to your health practitioner before undertaking a new supplement or exercise regime. Views expressed are of Optimum Nutrition.