The 10 Must-Know Tips to Stay Hydrated During Your Workout

By Nicole McDermott

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Not drinking enough water before a morning run, sweating a ton at the gym, forgetting a water bottle to sip during spin class, and steamy temps are surefire ways to put us on a path to dehydration doom. Staying hydrated while exercising is important because of the added sweat loss (compared to day-to-day activities like working at a desk or watching TV). Tossing back some H2O while working out can also help us fight fatigue and prolong endurance Fluids and hydration in prolonged endurance performance. Von Duvillard, S.P., Braun, W.A., Markofski, M. et al. Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Health, Kinesiology and Sports Studies, Texas A and M University—Commerce, Commerce, Texas. Nutrition, 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):651-6.. Before you turn into a raisin inside and out, check out these 10 ways to prevent mid-workout dehydration.

1. Drink!
Good old H2O is critical for rehydrating when the body experiences fluid loss, such as when we sweat Water, Hydration and Health. Popkin, B.M., D’Anci, K.E., Rosenberg, I.H. et al. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Nutrition Review, 2010 August; 68(8):439-458.. Even though many gyms like to keep pricey sports drinks and protein shakes stocked on their shelves, most of the time, water will do the trick just fine. Shoot to sip seven to 10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise to stay properly hydrated Fluids and hydration in prolonged endurance performance. Von Duvillard, S.P., Braun, W.A., Markofski, M., et al. Nutrition, 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):651-6.. If you’re working out for longer than an hour or doing a particularly intense exercise (like running a marathon or participating in a tough training session), you will probably need to replace electrolytes too—this is where a sports drink or electrolyte-enhanced water comes in handy Cardiac biomarkers, electrolytes, and other analytes in collapsed marathon runners: implications for the evaluation of runners following competition. Siegel, A.J., Januzzi, J., Sluss, P., et al. Department of Medicine, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2008 Jun;129(6):948-51.. However, it’s also important to be wary of overhydration: Too much water can lead to hyponatremia, which is when excess water in our bodies dilutes the sodium content of our blood Too much of a good thing? Whitfield, A. British Journal of General Practice, 2006 July 1; 56(528):542-545. Incidence and prevalence of hyponatremia. Upadhyay, A., Jaber, B.L., Madias, N.E. Department of Medicine, Tufts …read more

Source:: Greatist