Find out how much fluid you need to consume during your workout and if you need to follow this criterion. Beginner athletes often ask questions about the need to consume water during training, its amount, etc. It should be said right away that directly during the execution of the movement it is necessary to fully concentrate on work. You can and should drink water between sets. Today we will figure out how much water to drink during exercise.
Why drink water during exercise?
All tissues of the human body are made up of cells, and each of them, in turn, contains about 90 percent water. Only 10 percent is accounted for by various dry substances, for example, protein compounds, carbohydrates, trace elements, etc. Water is needed to dissolve them.
However, this is not the only function of the fluid in the human body. Water plays a critical role for all living things on our planet. Here are the main functions of water in the human body:
- The constancy of the internal environment is maintained.
- Provides constant intracellular pressure, gives it mechanical strength and elasticity.
- It dissolves all substances and thus creates a favorable environment for all biochemical reactions.
- It acts as a thermostat and it is easier for the body to regulate our body temperature.
- It is a transport for all substances.
This is only a small part of all the functions performed by water in our body. By and large, life is simply impossible without water. At the same time, we all know that water is excreted from the body, or, to put it simply, we lose it. At the same time, various substances are removed along with the liquid. The body controls fluid balance and with a high loss of water, we feel thirsty.
Often times, people ignore their thirst and drink only at the moment when this feeling becomes very strong. This cannot be done, and there is a certain norm of water that a person must definitely drink throughout the day. However, today we are talking about how much water to drink during exercise.
Under the influence of physical exertion, sweating processes are sharply accelerated. This is how the body regulates our body temperature. Experienced athletes claim that in one hour of active training, you can lose a kilogram of body weight only because a liter of water leaves the body.
These are very average values, but there is no doubt that during exercise the body loses a lot of fluid. Sometimes, from novice athletes, you can hear the opinion that drinking water during training is a pointless business. They believe that the more you drink, the more you sweat.
However, in practice, things are a little different. To begin with, not all of the water you drink will come out with sweat, since some of it will remain in the cellular structures to support their vital activity. In addition, the liquid reduces the stress that training is for the body.
Each of you knows that under the influence of physical exertion, the heart muscle works more actively and the pulse as a result increases. Blood is about 80 percent water. When a person sweats, fluid is removed from all tissues, including blood. As a result, it becomes thicker and this greatly complicates the work of the heart. Thus, our "fiery motor" wears out faster if there is not enough fluid in the body.
It should also be said that thick blood is extremely reluctant to penetrate into peripheral tissues. You should know that the effectiveness of training largely depends on the amount of anabolic hormones that have entered the muscle cells. However, if blood does not enter the tissues well, then the concentration of hormonal substances and other nutrients in them will be low.
Nutrients and oxygen are carried throughout the body by blood, and if it is thick, the blood supply to the brain deteriorates. This, in turn, can become the first cause of a heart attack. All of the above should be enough for you to understand how important fluid balance is during training. For your activity to be effective, you need to support it.
How to drink water properly during exercise?
We have already said that some people drink little water, but there is another extreme - excessive fluid intake. If you drink more than five liters throughout the day, then you should definitely seek advice from an endocrinologist. Such an unquenchable thirst is a pathology and it is necessary to undergo an examination. You can often hear a recommendation to drink as much water as you want, plus another extra glass.
However, back to our topic today - how much water to drink during exercise. Let's take a step-by-step look at your lesson:
- You came to training and changed. It is advisable to drink a glass of liquid 40 minutes before that, not necessarily water, you can drink tea. But liquids with a high viscosity, say, milk, it is better not to use before starting the training.
- During the warm-up, you will have the first sweat and you should not drink before the very beginning of the lesson, since it will be difficult to warm up, and you will sweat more actively than you could.
- After warming up, you need to do stretching exercises and if you are thirsty, then it is quite possible to take a few sips.
- When you get to the main part of the training, then you can drink a couple of sips between sets.
- When the lesson is over, you can safely drink as much water as you want. However, this should be done slowly so as not to consume more fluids than necessary. There will be no harm from this to the body, but you will feel discomfort due to the large amount of fluid in the stomach.
The basics of drinking while exercising
Let's continue talking about how much water to drink during exercise and consider the basic rules for drinking fluids. It would seem, what rules can be here - drink when you want and that's it. However, it turns out that not everything is so simple and there are many principles that need to be followed. We will now talk about three main ones:
- Water temperature - it all depends on the condition of your throat, because you can drink, say, cold water at any time of the year. However, if a person suffers from chronic tonsillitis, then it is recommended to consume a liquid with a temperature of at least 15 degrees. Also, remember that during training, the body warms up, and cold water can cause the development of various diseases, such as sore throats.
- Amount of water - always drink in small sips. This should be done not only during the lesson, but also in everyday life. In training, you can end up drinking up to three glasses of liquid and although sweating will increase, it is necessary.
- If there is no desire to drink, then do not drink water - drink liquid during training only when you feel thirsty. After completing the lesson, drinking water becomes mandatory.
We have said more than once that it is always necessary to drink in small sips. This is due to the fact that the receptors in such a situation have time to control the saturation process, and you will not drink more than necessary.
When to drink water during exercise and when not?
When in training you perform active actions, for example, jogging, then you need to use water only in pauses. Surely you have seen at least one boxing match and noticed that athletes use water exclusively during the pause between rounds.
At the same time, you should not use a large amount of water at once during training, as the exercise will become less comfortable due to the feeling of heaviness in the stomach and gurgling. For all sports disciplines, there is a general rule - drink water at least half an hour before the start of the lesson, during the training and after its completion. But just before starting a workout, you should not do this. In the pause between sets, in a relaxed atmosphere, if you feel thirsty, you can take a few small sips.
What liquid to drink during training and from what?
It's time to find out what kind of liquid you can drink during training. An excellent option would be regular tap water or still drinking water, which is sold in all supermarkets. However, today there is such a type of sports nutrition as isotonic. They are a great choice as they will not only quench your thirst, but also replenish your electrolyte balance.
Do not drink highly carbonated water. If you bought a mineral water, then first you should release the gas. Also, during the lesson, you should not consume sugary drinks, milk, juices, drinking yoghurts. Experienced bodybuilders often dissolve a portion of BCAA in water and drink such a cocktail throughout the class. This is also a good solution to the problem, because the body not only normalizes fluid balance, but catabolic processes slow down.
However, it is necessary to dissolve BCAA only in water. If you use milk for these purposes, then the body will have to spend energy processing the product. If we talk about where to drink water from, then in any sports nutrition store you will find a lot of different bottles.
How much water to drink during exercise - rules
Let's answer the main question of today's article - how much water to drink during exercise? Let's start with the daily dosage of liquid and here you need to use a simple formula: for every kilogram of body weight, consume from 40 to 45 milliliters of water. For example, if your body weight is 80 kilos, then you need to drink about 3.5 liters of water per day. Note that now we are talking only about water, and not about the liquid as a whole.
On the Internet, you can find special tables that indicate the daily water requirement depending on body weight and activity. However, you should not use these values as dogma, and first of all listen to your body. He will never allow dehydration and will signal if necessary.
We have already found out that you need to drink water during training, but how much? The exact answer cannot be given, because various factors must be taken into account. On average, it is recommended to consume 8-12 milliliters of water for each kilo of body weight. However, this value is also averaged and may vary depending on the situation. Remember that after completing one or two sets, you should definitely take a sip of water.
It is very important to evenly distribute all the fluids you use throughout the session. Do not allow not to drink at all at the beginning of the training, but towards the end of it immediately use half a bottle. It is the uniform distribution of fluid for the whole lesson that can be considered the main rule. For the rest, be guided by your feelings.
For more on the rules of drinking water during exercise, see the video below:
