Stay dehydrated for better health
Keeping hydrated before and after a workout should be normal practice. What fluids you choose is up to you, though water appears to be better.
Staying hydrated during and after a workout is a must.
And nothing beats quenching your thirst with water – preferably plain, slightly chilled or room temperature water.
For regular daily water consumption, we’ve all heard that the general rule is to drink eight, eight-ounce cups of fluid daily.
How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, the intensity and duration of the workout, and the climate you’re working out in. Higher altitude and hot, humid temperatures tend to dehydrate you much faster. The debate rages as to which fluid is better – water or sports and flavoured drinks?
Well, again, it depends on your palate (some people need the sugar rush) and the activity you’re doing.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends flavoured drinks when fluid replacement is needed during and after exercise to enhance palatability and promote fluid replacement.
Your body will signal the need for fluids when necessary. When you are thirsty and your throat feels parched, your body is showing you the first signs of dehydration. Drinking even before the body feels thirsty is the best way to prevent dehydration damage.
On average, ACSM says people lose 2% to 6% of their body weight during exercise sessions due to inadequate hydration. Sports drinks such as Gatorade, Revive and 100 Plus can replenish electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium, chloride, hydrogen phosphate and hydrogen carbonate) and carbohydrates lost during an intense workout lasting more than 60 minutes.
Most sports drinks have the same basic ingredients: water, sugar, salt and potassium. Water rehydrates the body after exercise, sugar provides carbohydrates for energy, and salt which helps retain water and potassium helps muscle function.
Category: Education, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
