Stay Hydrated My Friends

Stay Hydrated My Friends

Something that we have all been told throughout our lives at various points is to drink more water. Some have heard from their mothers, others from coaches, and even others from both. But what does this mean? How much should I be drinking? Does only water count towards my hydration? The science of hydration is extensive. In the end, most people would say “I know I should probably be drinking more water than I am”. But too many don’t do anything about it. The most common trend seems to be to buy a new water bottle, saying “I will drink all of this so many times per day”, but then they miss a couple of days and next thing you know that bottle is in the cabinet with the 17 other water bottles they own.

So, what does staying hydrated actually do? One thing to consider is that your body is made up of mostly water, so making sure that you have enough of it in your body and that it is replenished is a simple reason. But more specifically, water plays critical roles in how the human body functions and without enough of it, cramps are not just the only worry, it effects reaction time and how our brain functions as well.

Drinking water is a critical part of staying hydrated, but other drinks do help. However, many of these other options have extra ingredients that actually have a negative effect. Sugary drinks like sodas, juices, and things with a lot of caffeine are not has helpful in water retention. Thus, they aren’t aiding the goal of having more water in your body.  A simple goal for many, is to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. So, if you weigh 200lbs, work to drink 100 ounces. While that number seems like a lot, it’s really just 4 protein shaker bottles. Or use any water bottle with a known oz capacity so you can easily keep track. The goal with this is to just keep track. Whether or not you reach the amount goal or not, keeping track allows to you see progress and build upon each day just like you do weights in the weight room.  A water bottle is a very simple tool that you can leave on your desk at work or carry with you to class and will help you keep track of how much water you are consuming each day.

Hydration is not just how much water you drink. Especially when it comes to re-hydrating after exercise. In this situation, it is more than just about water. While water is critical, post-exercise, you need to replenish the electrolytes that you lost during your activity. Sodium, potassium, and carbs are all essential things to replace after a workout. This is why sport drink products are so successful in sales because they all have these and they advertise very well that they do. But the key is to watch how much sugar is in them. Too many are so packed full of sugar that they far outweigh the carbs you are needing to replace from your workout. So, make sure you are careful about the quantity of these drinks and think about having a portion of a bottle of those with lots of water. A lesser-known great post-workout re-hydrating drink is milk. Milk is full of great nutrients that fit all of these categories and has some protein too. Just be careful to not replace all of your hydrating to milk and still get lots of water too. Finally, when it comes to re-hydrating post-exercise, make sure you are consuming more than you lost in the activity and to not just gulp a whole bunch right away and instead sip over time. This helps you retain more of the water and nutrients in your drink thus making sure that you get the most out of not only these beverages but also your workouts.

Hydration is all about keeping your body in the best condition possible. It allows for optimal function and plays a key role in the recovery process from a workout. Drink enough of it and avoid the gulps and sip instead. Always have a water bottle around and be prepared to feel better.

-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI

References

Evans, G., James, L., Shirreffs, S., & Maughan, R. Optimizing the Restoration and Maintenance of Fluid Balance After Exercise-Induced Dehydration. Journal of Applied Science. 2017 122:4, 945-951.