What is the best drink during a workout? During physical exertion, you lose not only water but also valuable electrolytes. Will plain water replenish and prevent dehydration? Check it out!
What to drink during a workout? This is a question that every person planning to start any physical activity should ask themselves. Why is this so important? During exertion, the body heats up, causing sweating, and with sweat, water and minerals are lost. This is a natural reaction of the body to the increase in body temperature and a way to reduce it. Regular hydration is extremely important during training to prevent dehydration.
What is the best drink and how often? Learn the basic information about hydration during physical activity.
What to drink during a workout?
Spring water
Spring water is great as an everyday drink, but due to the lack of mineral content, it will not replenish lost minerals during training. It will certainly quench your thirst but won’t improve hydration during training. It is only recommended for less demanding and low-intensity physical activities.
Mineral water
Mineral water is an excellent drink during workouts. Mineral water contains a significantly higher level of minerals than spring water, making it a better choice during more demanding workouts. Medium mineralized water, containing from 500 to 1500 mg/l, is the best. However, if the training lasts more than an hour and is of very high intensity, it’s better to choose the last recommended option for training drinks – isotonic drinks.
Isotonic drinks
Isotonic drinks are a popular type of training drink, but it’s worth noting that their consumption is not always necessary. During a workout lasting no more than 1 hour and not of very high intensity – mineral water is definitely a better choice. Especially since store-bought isotonic drinks often contain a lot of sugar and unnecessary calories. Drinking isotonic drinks is advisable for high-intensity physical activity, mainly to replenish glycogen stores in the muscles. An important component of such drinks is sodium, which is responsible for our body’s water management. However, a much better choice would be to prepare a homemade isotonic drink, which is extremely simple and quick.
Homemade isotonic drink:
- Mineral water 1 liter
- Sea salt 1/5 tablespoon
- Honey or sugar 3 tablespoons
- Lemon/Orange/Grapefruit juice 1 piece
- Fresh mint (optional) a few leaves
Mix all the ingredients until they dissolve. Drink within a few hours of preparation. With a homemade isotonic drink, you control the ingredients and taste, ensuring proper hydration.
How to hydrate the body during effort?
Choose the right type of drink
Select the appropriate type of fluid based on the length and intensity of the planned workout.
Drink small amounts slowly
Consume drinks regularly and not too abruptly. This way, you will not lead to dehydration and weakening of the training’s effectiveness. Ensure that the breaks between fluid intake are not too long. Try to divide the amount of fluid into proportional parts to replenish it every 10-15 minutes during the workout.
Drink before and after training
Proper hydration during training also means drinking before and after exertion. It’s good to drink about 500 ml before the workout and a similar amount after the workout – of course, not all at once, but regularly in small amounts over about 1-2 hours before and after.
Control body hydration
Each body is different, and just as with other issues, you should always observe your body’s reactions and your feelings. The amounts we indicated may be a big hint for you and may work perfectly, but if you observe disturbing symptoms such as muscle pain and cramps, dark spots before the eyes, stomach pain, colic, etc., it will mean that your body needs more or a different type of hydration.
Drinks consumed during exertion should not be random and at irregular intervals, as it is difficult to take care of the body’s water-electrolyte balance in this way. Proper hydration will ensure maximum efficiency of the training. Additionally, it’s worth noting that without proper hydration, you won’t lose weight, build muscles, and also pose a risk to your health. Hydration is essential for metabolic processes in the body.
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