If you plan on exercising regularly, whether to lose fat or just to stay in shape generally, one of your most important tools you’ll need is going to be your water bottle. Fluids especially water, are important to your overall physical wellbeing and should not be ignored. Every metabolic process in the human body requires water. Fluids form blood, help with digestion and keep your body from overheating, especially during strenuous physical activity. Failure to consume enough fluids at the right times can affect overall performance, but can also have dangerous consequences. Equally important as knowing that you need to drink water, is knowing, how to drink water.
Ever since we were children we’ve been told to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. That’s good advice, but depending on a variety of factors, including the nature of your workout, temperature, humidity, altitude, even your choice of workout clothing…you may require more. A simple guide is to consume at least half your body weight in water per day, especially if you’re really intense with your workouts.
Also you want to avoid drinks that contain caffeine because those can act as diuretics and remove water from your body through urination.
It’s always better to replenish the water as it is being lost, rather than waiting until the end of your workout. The amount of water consumed, must at least match the amount lost through sweating. If you consume enough water, it should cause you to urinate at least 4 times during the day and your urine should be a light yellow colour. Dark urine is a sign that you’re not consuming enough water. Not consuming enough water can affect your kidney functions. If you don’t drink enough water, the liver will have to fill in to pick up the slack which means it will not be able to do its job of metabolizing fat stores, which will in turn affect your ability to lose weight.
So when should you drink water? Make sure you drink water before, during and after exercise.
Before Exercise; Don’t wait to consume water just before you exercise. That water won’t have time to make it through your system to do any good. Drink at least two hours before your workout. This will be enough time to fully hydrate your body and get rid of any excess. Drink some more at least 15 minutes before your workout.
During exercise; Keep hydrating the body every 20-25 minutes. Or 5-10 ounces, every ten minutes of exercise, depending on the temperature and intensity of your workout. Also, drinking cold water throughout your workout, is a better idea than drinking warm water, because cold water is absorbed a lot quicker.
After exercise; Once your workout is done, your body still needs to be hydrated. At this stage it is safe to combine your water intake with a sports drink, that contains sodium or electrolytes, to replace those lost during your workout, but plain water is still the best source of hydration. It’s good for your tired muscles as well as your organs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kendal Burton is a Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor and Sports Nutrition Specialist.
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