Do you know how much water you drink each day? Most of the time when we’re tracking our food we know the in’s & outs of our nutrition, we almost always forget about the water side of it.
Not only does it effect our training but has a huge influence on how our body works.
Water flows through the body dropping off nutrients to organs and cells, removing toxins and also lubricating joints and bones.
What is the recommended daily intake?
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend:-
Men 3.7litres of water a day
Women 2.7 litres of water
Your intake may increase due to multiple things; How active you are, if you’re breastfeeding & if its a warmer temperature.
As always we’re all built different so you may need more than others or less.
What would you take to stay hydrated?
The majority of our hydration would be from fluids, around 80% of it. Fluids like water, tea or milk. The other 20% of your fluid intake comes from high water foods like fruit, vegetables and yoghurt.
Some are better than others at keeping us hydrated. Alcohol for instance escalates water loss through blocking anti-diuretic hormones.
Fluids:
- Water
- Tea
- Milk (Mostly for children)
Foods:
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Zucchini
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
- Bell peppers
- Asparagus
Guide to hydration for training & workouts
The loss of water in the body shoots up when we workout through sweat & also breathing, if your training is intense & very physical the more you lose. You also lose sodium & potassium which are electrolytes.
Before Training:
Take in fluids often through the day. 15 – 20 minutes before training intake around 250ml.
During Training:
Whilst training try to consume 100ml of fluids every 20 minutes.
After Training:
Drink 250ml for every 0.5kg you’ve lost.
After the session to help with recovery you could take an electrolyte supplement or sports drink.
How to tell if you’re dehydrated?
Common signs of dehydration include:
- Thirsty
- Tiredness & agitated
- Constipation
- Dark yellow urine
- Fast or unusual heartbeat
- Dry skin
- Low urine or sweat output
- Headache, joint pain and cramps
- Raised body temperature
How to stay hydrated
- Check your urine colour each day: Light yellow or see through is good.
- Always keep a water bottle with you or places you spend a lot of time.
- Mix up the fluids! Add different fruits & fresh herbs to make it more exciting.
- Have water with every meal in the day.
- Introduce electrolyte supplements into your training recovery.
