Drink plenty of water.
Sounds cliché, right?
It might actually be. But the truth is the substance that takes up 75% of your body is tied to critical functions—flushing out waste, regulating brain function, and maintaining body temperature to name a few.
However, things become tenfold intense for the regular exerciser.
All that to say, your body loses roughly one quart of water in just 60 minutes of a workout. If not replenished, you could be dehydrated, which then leads to muscle fatigue, loss of coordination, and muscle cramps.
To keep your athletic performance and health unaffected, it is important to hydrate before, during, and after exercise. But, what amount of water should you be aiming for when you exercise? Read on to find out.
How Much Water to Drink Before Exercise
If you’re about to kick in your keep-fit session, you’d want to fill up your fuel tank, wouldn’t you?
Staying hydrated before working out ensures you have sufficient reserves when you are in action. Not only that, but it also maintains body temperature, lubricates joints, and sets off nutrients through your body.
Result? Performance of the highest level with fewer chances of injury.
According to the American Council on Exercise, you should be drinking 17 to 20 ounces of water (equivalent to 2-3 cups) two hours before beginning the exercise.
During Exercise
Now that you’re up and running, you’d break a sweat. And when that happens you lose fluids and electrolytes from your body.
For this reason, staying hydrated while you’re working out is imperative. If drinking water before exercise fills up your fuel tank, drinking it through exercise regulates your fuel tank.
So, how much should you be consuming water while you’re conditioning?
The American Council on Exercise suggests drinking 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10-20 minutes during exercise.
After Exercise
Once you are done with your workout routine, you must be fatigued. So, now comes the time to restore your energy levels.
If you’re not sufficiently hydrated post-exercise, you may naturally feel dizzy and worn out.
What’s worse is that excess dissipation of electrolytes makes you vulnerable to muscle cramps. Expect double damage if you’re done with high-intensity fitness training.
The antidote? Plenty of water after exercising!
But how much is enough?
The American Council on Exercise recommends drinking 16 to 24 ounces for every pound shredded after a workout. So, if you’re losing 1 pound of your weight, for example, you should be sipping on 2 cups of water.
Take It Up a Notch
For most people, water should be good enough to rehydrate. But what if you’re doing a high-intensity exercise that exceeds one hour?
In this case, having a sports drink should be a better option. The extra calories, potassium, and other nutrients in the sports drink replenish your electrolytes when you go big or train for a longer duration.
Order alkaline water in Los Angeles by aDivineh2o and see for yourself!
Citations
Healthy Hydration (acefitness.org)
Muscle Cramping During Exercise: Causes, Solutions, and Questions Remaining – PMC (nih.gov)
