Staying hydrated is very important for every single person. You can so easily end up being dehydrated when you do not drink enough as you sweat at the gym, go for a run in the sun or simply work. It is particularly important that you are hydrated as you are working out because the body automatically loses water through sweat. However, this is just one thing that you should know about staying hydrated. Everything mentioned below is highly important.
Always Drink As Much Water As You Need
There are even some doctors that tell you that you have to drink 2 liters of water every day. That is rarely enough for the human body, especially if you work out. When you go to the gym, you will see so many sports drinks and you may use protein shakes but the best thing that you can do when you work out is drink water. Try to drink around 10 ounces every 15 minutes when you are working out. At the same time, make sure that you always avoid overhydration since it can lead towards hyponatremia.
Sports Drinks
The problem with sweating is not just that you lose water. The body also loses electrolytes. These minerals are important as they regulate body water amounts. Sports drinks like Gatorade will help you to prolong workouts because of the added electrolytes. Water does not do that. You want to seriously consider using sports drinks or coconut water when you are involved in highly intense workouts or long competitions like marathons.
Don’t Forget About Fruit
There are many fruits that include fluids and electrolytes. Dosage for electrolytes does vary. You will want to focus on bananas since they do have a lot of electrolyte potassium. This allows you to refuel during intense workouts. Drink water as you consume some fruits that have high electrolyte content.
Always Weigh Yourself
This is quite important, especially when you work out. For every single pound that you will lose during workouts, you have to drink around 16 ounces of water/fluid. If you are faced with a weight loss of around 3%, you are faced with serious dehydration. Side effects like fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps can appear.
Drink When You Are Thirsty
The body will give you signs that something is wrong. Thirst is, most likely, the best example of this. If you feel thirsty, you need to grab a sip of water as soon as possible. Mild thirst is actually a sign that dehydration is impending so prevent instead of treating!
Analyze Your Muscles
Muscle tissue is made out of around 75% water. If the body does not have water, muscles easily get fatigued. Because of this, if you notice a decline in physical performance, you will want to see if dehydration is the reason why.
Always Stop When You Are Dizzy
In the event that you feel extra fatigue and you are dizzy while you work out, make sure that you stop and check to see if you are dehydrated. We are normally taught to use willpower and push the body to the limit for some extra reps but if you feel dizzy, you absolutely have to stop. It may be time to hydrate.