How To Hydrate
Water - an essential nutrient to all. We’re mostly made up of water and due to it being lost with urination, sweating, respiration, and bowel movements, it must be replenished regularly. Water is responsible for transporting nutrients within our body, lubricates joints, regulates temperature, and helps remove wastes. If dehydrated, symptoms could include dry mouth and skin, fatigue, headache, dizziness, and decreased heart rate. In severe cases, kidney failure, seizures, delirium, or death can occur.
How do I know if I’m drinking enough fluids?
Since fluid needs vary by individual, it can be challenging to give a one size fits all recommendation. But to calculate a ballpark number, take your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2, then multiply by 30 and that should be your daily fluid intake in milliliters.
Example: 150 lbs / 2.2 = 68 kg x 30 = ~2,045 ml/day.
Another quick and simple method to ensure you’re hydrated is to check the color of your urine. Click here to see a chart on how optimal your urine looks in relation to hydration (2).
In addition to calculations and monitoring urine color, you should also be in tune to how you feel. If you’re constantly fatigued, experience headaches or lethargy, you could be dehydrated. I recommend not waiting until you feel thirsty to get fluids in, but instead to regularly hydrate throughout the day.
What about after exercising?
Sweating is our body’s way of cooling ourselves down to prevent overheating and some people sweat more than others *raises hand in sweaty embarrassment*
I can recall moments back in my high school field hockey days where we did a quick warmup to start. Most of the girls were panting a little - skin is bone dry, and then there was me, forehead and neck flooded with beads of sweat. So whether you sweat a lot or a little, it’s crucial to replace those fluids lost.
A way to learn your sweat rate is to weigh yourself nude before and after the workout. For every 1 pound (equivalent to 16 oz or 480 ml) lost, replace with ~80-100% of that loss (13 - 16 oz or 400 - 480 ml). In regards to sports drinks, look for a proportion of 50-70% of calories from carbohydrates and 110 - 170 mg of sodium per 8 oz as this can replace some sodium in sweat loss (1).
What about coffee/tea?
It’s known that caffeine is a diuretic which increases your urine output, however it does not induce diuresis during exercise. A study shows that when ingested in typical amounts, caffeine does not stimulate excessive water loss and is appropriate for athletes (1).
If you’re just laying by the pool on a hot summer day, stick with the usual recommendations on hydrating regularly and to listen to your body’s cues. I recommend keeping a reusable bottle handy as a reminder to drink and refill with water or unsweetened beverages. Also, hydration is not limited to just liquids. We also get water from fruits and vegetables, so try snacking on cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, or celery.
So whether it’s water, tea, or celery, get your fluids in and stay hydrated, my friends.
References
Clark, N. (2020). Nancy Clark's sports nutrition guidebook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
McDermott, B.P., S. Anderson, L. Armstrong, D. Casa, S. Cheuvront, L. Cooper, W. Kennedy, F. O’Connor, and W. Roberts. 2017 National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement: Fluid replacement for the physically active. J Athl Train 52 (9): 877 - 895.
