Monday, July 4, 2016

WATER You Doing About Your Workout?

                             Making sure your hydrated before a workout seems simple, but there are some dangerous implications if you’re not.  Keep in mind, you won’t feel thirsty until you’ve already lost 1-2% of your body weight, so it’s important to make sure you’re drinking frequently. Not being hydrated can lead to impaired physical and cognitive performance, compromised circulation, and inefficient thermoregulation. Athletes who are acclimated to the heat tend to dissipate heat better and sweat more. Due to this, they need to drink more since they are losing more fluid.

Pre-workout Hydration:
ü  Make sure you drink plenty of water the night before so you’re off to a good start in the morning.
ü  Immediately before a workout drink 400-600ml of fluid which is about 1.5 cups of water.

Mid-workout Hydration
ü  1.5ml of water for every calorie burned during a workout is needed.
ü  1 pint of water is needed for every 1lb of body weight lost as sweat at a minimum.
ü  Drinking 150-250ml of fluid every 15 minutes will keep you hydrated.

Post-workout Hydration
ü  Water intake after a workout stimulates the body’s ability to relax.
ü  Once you start to relax your body goes into recovery mode.
ü  The sooner you start to drink water post-workout, the sooner your body will be able to recover from it.

                The type of beverage you decide to hydrate with is another important choice. Stay away from diuretics like coffee, alcohol, or soda the day before or leading up to a workout. Drinks like this can dehydrate you quickly due to their diuretic effects. Water is always a great choice when it comes to rehydrating, but what about Carbohydrate and Sodium-enhanced drinks like Gatorade? They have shown to allow greater fluid retention, which is great when you’re working outside for an extended period of time in the heat. This is a good defense mechanism against dehydration in the heat; just be sure not to drink too much. It can cause cramping or sugar overload, and can also add a lot of calories to your diet. This is why water is usually seen as a better choice for rehydration, as there is no limit as to how much you can have.
Not only should you pre-hydrate, but hydrating during recovery is important as well. How you perform during your workout will always depend on how much you hydrated before and after your workout from yesterday. Just remember to always stay on top of your water intake and your performance won’t suffer!


Bio: Kristen Peterson MPH, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist currently working in nutrition counseling and studying to become a Certified Personal Trainer. She aspires to work with weight loss and help clients reach their goals. She also maintains a blog filled with nutrition information and healthy, tasty recipes: www.kpcreations.com. Instagram @kpcreations.dietitian