How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

If you’re looking for optimal health, especially if you’re out there training hard – then you need to be drinking an adequate amount of water. Your brain will only tell you that you’re thirsty long after your body actually needs it. When you work out and sweat, your body loses fluid that needs to be replaced, or else your muscles will suffer and your workout will suffer. and the rate you actually recover will also suffer. Because your body will often process that liquid before it’s able to put it back where it belongs, you need to drink MORE than normal after a workout.

THE BENEFITS OF DRINKING ENOUGH WATER 

  • Prevents a dry mouth – quite annoying when trying to work out
  • A well hydrated athlete can feel stronger and workout for longer and more effectively.
  • You will have more energy, and the exercises you struggled with when dehydrated will seem much easier.
  • Promotes cardiovascular health – your heart must work harder to pump the reduced amount of blood and get enough oxygen to your cells, which makes everyday activities like walking up stairs, as well as exercise more difficult
  • Keeps your body cool – your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the skins surface (this is why your face gets red during exercise), resulting in more blood flow and more heat dissipated into the air. When you’re dehydrated, it takes a higher environmental temperature to trigger blood vessels to widen, so you stay hotter
  • Water helps muscles and joins work better – it is important for lubricating joints and when you are well hydrated the water inside and outside the cells of contracting muscles provides adequate nutrients and removes waste efficiently which enhances performance.

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED? 

Firstly, you should make sure you are hydrated to begin with. Before working out drink about 500mls of water. During exercise sip 170mls of water every 15 minutes (240mls if exercising in extreme heat and you’re sweating buckets). For every 0.45 kilograms of water weight lost, replace it by drinking about 500mls of water or sports drink. Another good way to monitor that you’ve gotten enough water is in the bathroom. If you have a large amount of light- coloured urine, then you’re hydrated. If it’s dark, then you’ll know you need to drink more before, during and after your workout.

CAN YOU DRINK TOO MUCH WATER?

It’s possible to to drink too much water, but difficult to do. Hyponatremia usually found in endurance athletes. Diluted from too much water and sodium levels drop to dangerously low levels. This can lead to nausea, headaches, confusion and fatigue.

So, after reading this blog maybe – had it occurred to you that you are thirsty? Guess what, by the time you have felt this sensation of being thirsty throughout your day YOU ARE ALREADY DEHYDRATED! So really, your body is composed of roughly 60% water – so it’s pretty important so keep hydrated since nearly all of your systems will not function as well without the proper water intake.

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