Hydration & Fitness

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We all know how important water is in life, its legitimately crucial to our existence. But have you stopped to think about how important water is when it comes to fitness and nutrition? Most people probably don’t think about it. Even though it's common knowledge that our body is about 60% water, we still struggle making the connection between water and nutrition/fitness. The simple fact is this; every major system in our body is impacted by this balance of water.

Water helps in a multitude of ways that go far beyond “Hydration”. To break a few down for you. Water helps all our organs and cells by transporting nutrients to them, it carries toxins away from those organs and cells, it works as a lubricant for joints and bones, impacts brain function, and even helps to regulate our internal temperature.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Traditionally we’ve been told that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is enough, that comes out to 64 Ounces. However, according to this study by The Institute of Medicine; it’s recommended that you drink 3.7 liters/day (125 Ounces) for adult men and 2.7 liters/day (91 Ounces) for adult women. That’s a great deal more than the general rule of “8 glasses a day”. In addition to that, your water intake would have to increase if your more physically active, breastfeeding or during warmer months. But be careful, you can actually have too much water.

OK SO WHAT IS HYDRATION?

We get the majority of our hydration through the intake of liquids such as water, milk, and juice. The remainder of our fluids we get through food with high water content such as fruits and veggies. Contrary to this, we can lose hydration levels in our body by drinking alcohol. For those of us who like a good cup of coffee or tea, I have some good news. According to this study; coffee or tea (Within moderation) does not dehydrate you, and may even count towards a proper hydration level.

TOP HYDRATION CHOICES

Fluids

• Water/sparkling water

• Tea

• Milk (especially for children)

• Vegetables:

• Cucumber

• Cabbage

• Zucchini

• Celery

• Lettuce

• Tomatoes

• Radishes

• Bell peppers

• Asparagus

Fruits:

• Peach

• Cantaloupe

• Grapefruit

• Strawberry

• Starfruit

• Watermelon

WHAT CAUSES FLUID LOSS?

The biggest cause of fluid loss for most individuals is the consumption of Alcohol. That doesn’t mean you need to cut it out completely, just ensure that you offset alcohol consumption with an increase in water intake. It probably wouldn’t hurt to cut back on alcohol intake though, there are numerous benefits. In addition, exercise, warmer weather, or getting sick as well as certain medications all increase fluid loss and increase your risk of dehydration.

HYDRATION AND EXERCISE TIPS

We lose a great deal of water content during exercise. The majority of which is lost through sweat, but we also lose water content through breathing and the act of exercising in general (Our muscles use water to fuel themselves). You see, when we exercise our muscles need glycogen. Glycogen has to bind to water in order to be used as fuel for our muscles. Water isn’t the only thing we lose during exercise though; we also lose electrolytes like sodium and potassium.

Before a Workout

It’s important that you’re properly hydrating throughout the day. Make sure you bring a full bottle of water with you when you exercise.

During a Workout

It’s recommended that you drink about 7 -10 ounces of water for each 20 minutes of exercise.

After a Workout

A general rule is to ingest 8 – 16 ounces of water within 2 hours post workout. Another great suggestion would be to eat a banana after a workout to aid in muscle recovery.

SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION

Common signs of dehydration include:

• Thirst

• Brain fog, fatigue and irritability

• Constipation

• Dark yellow urine

• Dizziness

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

• Dry mouth

• Sunken eyes and dry skin

• Reduced urine or sweat output

• Headache, joint pain and cramps

• Elevated body temperature

TIPS FOR STAYING HYDRATED

• Monitor your urine color: Lemonade or lighter generally means you’re hydrated.

• Keep a water bottle visible at home, work, in your car and anywhere else you spend a significant amount of time.

• Track your water intake with an app or get a smart water bottle that tracks it for you like the Hidrate Spark water bottle

• Add some flavor to your water: Add slices of lemon and lime or fruit and fresh herbs to keep things interesting.

• Get in the habit of pouring yourself a glass of water with every meal and snack.

• Start your meal with a broth-based soup or salad. Soups and salads contain water-rich ingredients.

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