Okay, this week is probably going to be the hottest this year so far so what a better time to talk hydration.
Is keeping hydrated important? Of course it is but do you really know why you need to keep hydrated? When to re-hydrate? How much fluid to consume?
First some simple facts:
* Body water makes up approximately 40-75% of total body mass
* It is the largest component in the human body
* 75% of your brain is made of water
* 83% of your blood is water
* 75% of your muscle is water
* 22% of your bones is water
* Water helps carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells and helps the cells absorb those nutrients
* Water regulates body temperature
* Water helps cushion/protect vital organs
So it is fairly obvious how important water is to our survival but how much do you need to consume?
Hydration and exercise
While it is important to ensure you remain hydrated as you go about you normal daily routine it becomes even more important when exercise is thrown into the mix.
When we exercise our body temperature rises and our body's reaction is to sweat which cools the body as it evaporates. Depending on the level of physical activity an athlete can lose up to 3 litres an hour during exercise.
An easy experiment to see how much fluid you lose during exercise is to weight yourself, naked if possible, before and after an hour of exercise.
For every 1kg of weight you lose it means you have lost around 1 litre of fluid.
If you are not replacing this lost fluid dehydration occurs and this can have serious effects.
1% dehydration (approx 0.7 kg weight loss) will increase your body's temperature
2% dehydration (approx 1.3 kg weight loss) will impair you performance
5% dehydration (approx 3.5 kg weight loss) can cause heat exhaustion and gastrointestinal problems
7%+ dehydration (approx 4.5 kg+ weight loss) can result in hallucinations and even circulatory collapse
Symptoms of dehydration include:
Dizziness
Headaches
Weakness
Dry mouth
Stomach upset
Dark urine
Low or no urine output
One of the symptoms above is dark urine and this is caused when the kidneys signal to the body to retain water. The chart below gives an indication as to the levels of dehydration from the colour of your urine and it is an easy one to check.
So, what do you need to do to prevent dehydration from exercise?
Pre-Exercise
Ensure you are fully hydrated by consuming approximately 500ml of fluids 2 to 3 hours before activity.
Consume another 200ml of fluids after your warm up (10 to 15 minutes before your main activity)
During Exercise
Drink approximately 200ml every 10 to 15 minutes to replace losses from sweating
Aim to replace 80% of losses whilst exercising
After Exercise
Rapidly replace lost fluids (sweat and urine) within 2/3 hours after exercise to enhance recovery.
Consume about 500ml immediately or as much as can be tolerated.
Then try to consume 250ml every 15 minutes for 2/3 hours.
Post exercise rehydration is vital for regular exercisers so always have a drink to hand.
Post exercise drinks containing added sodium and carbohydrates are beneficial. Unless the fluid consumed has sufficient levels of sodium the excess fluid only increases urine output without benefiting rehydration. Beverages that contain sodium may help rehydrate faster and extra carbohydrates can help reduce muscle fatigue.
Conclusion
Your body needs to be sufficiently hydrated to fully function and give peak performance.
Always be sufficiently hydrated before exercise and ensure to constantly rehydrate throughout your session.
Your body well tell you when it is dehydrated so watch out for the signs:
Dizziness
Headaches
Weakness
Dry mouth
Stomach upset
Dark urine
Low or no urine output
If you follow the guidelines you will get the most out of your workout and keep your body safe.
Now get out and enjoy the Irish summer - it should last all of two weeks if we're lucky !!
(c) 2016 RONAN TUTTY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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