Exercise Produces Water Loss, So You Need to Stay Hydrated Many people who have taken up a regular regimen of exercise also spend a great deal of effort selecting what they eat.
This is important.
But as important is knowing how much you need to drink because exercise will produce water loss.
This loss needs to be replaced in order to maintain a healthy balance while conducting exercise.
Water is Your Body's Coolant Just like the water/coolant in your automobile that keeps the engine temperature at the normal working level, your body needs water to keep its temperature at the right level.
Furthermore, water also acts like a lubricant that cushions the body's joints and helps to introduce nutrients to the body as well as remove waste.
People exercising that don't drink enough water run the risk of becoming dehydrated.
This situation can cause a person to become tired and lightheaded leading to headaches and constipation as well.
This is because water will provide replacement for the loss of sodium, potassium and chloride - which are the electrolytes that are needed to keep your body functioning normally.
These items are depleted when you experience water loss through perspiration while exercising.
Additionally, people exercising in hot weather need to be particularly careful because if these elements are excessively lost and not replenished, a person can actually become very weak and possibly pass out suffering from either heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Without the proper intake of fluids during exercise, a person may just wind up needing medical attention.
So How Much Should I Drink? It is important to realize that you need to drink before, during and after your exercise session.
The amount that you drink is going to be dependent upon a number of different aspects including this: Your rate of perspiration Body size Exercise session heat and humidity conditions (indoors/outdoors - summer/winter) Workout intensity Any medications presently being taken Age Actual medical condition and history Anyone taking medications or has a specific medical condition needs to speak with a physician about fluid intake requirements before starting an exercise program.
Younger people - as well as older ones -are more susceptible to dehydration and would have different requirements for fluid intake during exercise.
However, here are some guidelines for any adults in good health not taking any medication.
Prior to exercising, drink fluids a few hours before you begin.
This will have you start exercising with a normal balance of electrolytes within your system.
During your exercise routine, drink water.
However, people engaged in any kind of high intensity exercise program that goes beyond 45 minutes should consume sports drinks that provide better replacement of electrolytes and carbohydrates.
After your exercise, you need to replace all the fluids and electrolytes lost during your workout by drinking within 30 minutes after your session has ended.
Keep in mind your need for fluid replacement will be much higher during intense endurance activities.
It is always highly recommended to check with a doctor for a complete set of information about fluid replacement and exercising.
Sometimes you need to gradually consume more fluids that are necessary for replacement when you exercise getting into the habit for consuming what you need.