Whether or not you’re a critical athlete or train for recreation, it’s vital to remain hydrated. Good hydration means getting the correct amount of water earlier than, throughout, and after train. Water regulates your physique temperature and lubricates your joints. It helps transport vitamins to present you vitality and hold you wholesome. If you happen to’re not hydrated, your physique can’t carry out at its highest degree. You might really feel drained, have muscle cramps, dizziness, or different critical signs.
Path to improved well being
A easy technique to be sure to’re staying correctly hydrated is to verify your urine. In case your urine is often colorless or gentle yellow, you might be most certainly properly hydrated. Darkish yellow or amber-colored urine could be a signal of dehydration.
How a lot water ought to I drink whereas exercising?
There aren’t any actual guidelines for the way a lot water to drink whereas exercising, as a result of everyone seems to be completely different. It’s worthwhile to think about elements together with your sweat price, the warmth and humidity in your atmosphere, your clothes, and the way lengthy and onerous you might be exercising.
You might want to remain higher hydrated when you’ve got sure medical situations, corresponding to diabetes, coronary heart illness, and cystic fibrosis. Some medicines can act as diuretics, inflicting the physique to lose extra fluid.
The American Council on Train has instructed the next fundamental pointers for ingesting water earlier than, throughout, and after train:
- Drink 17 to twenty ounces of water 2 to three hours earlier than you begin exercising.
- Drink 8 ounces of water 20 to half-hour earlier than you begin exercising or throughout your warm-up.
- Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water each 10 to twenty minutes throughout train.
- Drink 8 ounces of water not more than half-hour after you train.
Athletes might need to measure how a lot fluid they lose throughout train to get a extra particular measurement of how a lot water to drink (16 to 24 ounces of water for each pound of physique weight misplaced).
What about sports activities drinks?
For most individuals, water is all that’s wanted to remain hydrated. Nevertheless, if you’ll be exercising at a excessive depth for longer than an hour, a sports activities drink could also be useful. The energy, potassium, and different vitamins in sports activities drinks can present vitality and electrolytes that will help you carry out for an extended time frame.
Select a sports activities drink properly. They’re usually excessive in energy from added sugar and will comprise excessive ranges of sodium. Additionally, verify the serving dimension. One bottle might comprise a number of servings. If you happen to drink all the bottle, it’s possible you’ll must double or triple the quantities given on the diet information label. Some sports activities drinks comprise caffeine. If you happen to eat a sports activities drink that accommodates caffeine, watch out to not add an excessive amount of caffeine to your weight-reduction plan. Caffeine might trigger a diuretic impact in your physique. Because of this you could have to urinate extra usually. Sugary drinks, corresponding to juice and soda, aren’t wholesome choices for staying hydrated.
Issues to think about
Dehydration occurs whenever you lose extra fluid than you drink. When your physique doesn’t have sufficient water, it will probably’t work correctly. Dehydration can vary from gentle to extreme. Signs of dehydration can embody the next:
- Dizziness or lightheaded feeling
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Dry mouth
- Lack of sweating
- Arduous, quick heartbeat
Signs of extreme dehydration can embody psychological confusion, weak spot, and lack of consciousness. It is best to get emergency medical consideration instantly when you’ve got any of those signs.
What’s warmth sickness?
Warmth sickness can happen when your physique is dehydrated and might’t cool itself successfully throughout train in scorching or humid climate. There are 3 levels of warmth sickness:
- Warmth cramps
- Warmth exhaustion
- Heatstroke
Signs of warmth cramps embody painful muscle spasms within the legs, abdomen, arms, or again. Signs of warmth exhaustion are extra critical. They will embody faint or weak emotions, nausea, headache, quick heartbeat, and low blood strain.
Essentially the most critical heat-related sickness is heatstroke. Signs can embody excessive physique temperature (increased than 104°F), quick heartbeat, flushed pores and skin, quick respiration, and probably even confusion or delirium, lack of consciousness, or seizures. It is best to get emergency medical consideration instantly when you expertise any of the signs of heatstroke. Untreated heatstroke can result in demise.
How a lot water is an excessive amount of?
This is dependent upon your physique and the type of exercise you might be doing. Discuss to your loved ones physician when you’ve got questions on the correct amount of water to drink whereas exercising.
When to see a physician
It is best to see a physician instantly when you’ve got signs of dehydration, warmth exhaustion, or heatstroke. You must also see a physician when you’ve got signs of a uncommon situation known as hyponatremia. These embody confusion, headache, vomiting, and swelling of the palms and ft.
Inquiries to ask your physician
- How a lot water ought to I drink every day?
- How far more water ought to I drink when I’m exercising?
- What’s one of the best ways for me to forestall dehydration?
- Am I extra in danger for turning into dehydrated?
- Does altitude have an effect on hydration?
- Is there a motive I ought to think about sports activities drinks whereas exercising?
Assets
American Council on Train: Wholesome Hydration
American Coronary heart Affiliation: Staying Hydrated – Staying Wholesome
Nationwide Institutes of Well being, MedlinePlus: Dehydration
Copyright © American Academy of Household Physicians
This data offers a normal overview and will not apply to everybody. Discuss to your loved ones physician to seek out out if this data applies to you and to get extra data on this topic.
