{"id":5689,"date":"2024-07-22T15:36:18","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mensfitness.co.uk\/?p=5689"},"modified":"2024-07-22T15:36:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T14:36:19","slug":"how-much-water-to-drink-when-working-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mensfitness.co.uk\/health\/how-much-water-to-drink-when-working-out\/","title":{"rendered":"This is how much water to drink when working out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the mercury rises, hydration is more important than ever \u2013 find out how much water to drink when working out with this five-step plan.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Staying hydrated when working out is crucial, but many of us are oblivious regarding how much water we should be drinking before, during, and after a session – or when you should be adding the best electrolyte drinks<\/a> into the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you’re working out in the park or pounding the pavements daily, the hot weather means more of us being enticed to take our workouts outdoors. However, the heat also puts athletes at risk of dehydration, which increases cardiovascular strain, glycogen utilization and muscle lactate to make exercise feel\u00a0much harder than it should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHydration matters,\u201d says sports nutritionist Will Girling<\/a>. \u201cResearch suggests dehydration of just 2% of your bodyweight causes a significant drop in performance. So if a 100kg athlete loses 2kg of water, that will be very detrimental.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that with smart hydration strategies you can manage your fluid loss to ensure you enjoy the benefits of the hot weather, without succumbing to the hazards. With that in mind, here are five strategies for staying hydrated this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Athletic<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How much water to drink when working out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1. Always pre-hydrate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re doing a sweaty indoor gym session, or a run or bike ride outside, your hydration plan should kick in early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlways hydrate before you do your workout,\u201d explains Girling. \u201cDrink 400-600ml of water two hours beforehand. The simple test is to go to the bathroom and examine your urine: if your passing is dark in color, have another 400-600ml before your class or bike ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is especially important if you\u2019re exercising in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt can be really hot in the summer, but people wake up and go straight out,\u201d says Girling, \u201ceven though they\u2019ve suffered water loss from sweat overnight, so they\u2019re not in a hydrated state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Keep sipping<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How much liquid you need to drink during your workout will depend on what exercise you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlways take a bottle with you and hydrate as much as you can, but if you\u2019re going to the gym your workout will probably be under an hour, so drinking ad libitum \u2013 that\u2019s drinking to thirst \u2013 will be fine,\u201d says Girling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For longer endurance exercise, however, you need a stricter strategy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe general recommendation is 500-600ml per hour of activity. Anything more than two hours and you really need to stick to that 500-600ml rate, which is roughly one bottle per hour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a watch or bike computer to set reminders to drink, and plan your route to allow you to refill your bottles or buy extra water en route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don\u2019t forget electrolytes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sweating is your body\u2019s defence system against overheating. Unfortunately, though, when you sweat you lose some important minerals known as electrolytes, including sodium and potassium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electrolytes support a number of bodily functions, including energy production and fluid balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is very important to replace the electrolytes lost when you sweat,\u201d explains Girling. \u201cAt best, you will see an unwelcome decline in your performance. At worst, you can get hyponatremia (low blood sodium) which can be deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, during extended exercise, take on an electrolyte source once an hour. Around 400mg of sodium \u2013 or one electrolyte tablet \u2013 should cover most people.\u201d Time to get clued up on what electrolyte drinks are<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Know your own body<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the best ways to navigate hydration issues is to get to know the symptoms. The quicker you spot them, the easier they are to correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe common signs of dehydration are dry mouth and thirst but if you start to get into a two per cent bodyweight loss or greater you will experience headaches, nausea and dizziness,\u201d says Girling. \u201cBeing low on electrolytes can cause nausea, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

React quickly to any warning signs to make sure you don\u2019t deteriorate further. It’s also worth learning how to calculate your sweat rate<\/a> to be even more clued up on your body’s hydration levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Hydrate at home<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your hydration protocols shouldn\u2019t stop the moment you get home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeep drinking when you\u2019re finished to replace the fluids lost during exercise,\u201d insists Girling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aim for around one bottle per hour until your urine has returned to its natural pale color. Remember, you will continue to lose extra fluids through sweating and urination at home, so keep on sipping long after you finish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hot weather can play havoc with training, but with this hydration know-how you can stay primed for working out all summer long<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":20187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"amazon_asin_number":"","model":"","featured_image_overlay_img":"","hjpType":"","squirrel_render_by":"","squirrel_id":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[34],"yoast_head":"\nThis is how much water to drink when working out | Men's Fitness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the mercury rises, hydration is more important than ever \u2013 find out how much water to drink when working out with this five-step plan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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