Drink Water Before, During or After Training?
Keeping your body hydrated is always essential, especially when physical activities are involved. But when do you do it: before, during or after training? Before answering this question, you must first understand the real importance of the hydration process.
The Importance of Hydration
About 60% of human body composition is made up of water. In our muscles, this rate rises to 75%. Present in all chemical reactions that occur in our organism, it forms and makes up the structure of cells. Regulates body temperature and helps transport oxygen and nutrients.
Hydration is extremely important for all human beings, regardless of age, sex and physical type. This importance in our organism is more evident when we practice physical activities, since our body eliminates a large amount of this liquid through sweat. When that happens, we leave behind not only water, but also mineral salts like sodium and potassium, for example.
Over the course of a normal day, we may lose up to 2,300 ml of water. And at higher temperatures this index can reach 3,300 ml. Correct hydration, especially for those who practice physical activities, is essential for good performance. A water loss of 1 to 2% can cause a 10% drop in performance.
Correct hydration has the power to keep the body healthy, avoiding more serious injuries and illnesses in the medium and long term.
When to Hydrate?
The question that most athletes have is: when is the best time to hydrate? According to the American College of Sports Medicine, drinking water should be done before, during and after training to avoid dehydration.
However, for each moment there is a specific recommendation. It won’t do you any good if you drink a lot of water at once, as consumption needs to be moderate, just enough to keep your body temperature under control, reduce fatigue and keep your heart rate up.
Experts recommend that about 2 hours before exercise the athlete takes 500ml of water. So the body starts the activity with an adequate level of hydration, in addition to giving time to eliminate water through perspiration.
During training, it is recommended about 150ml to 300ml at regular intervals every 15 or 20 minutes. However, care must be taken, since the ideal replacement of liquid is done frequently and not with quantity. There is no point in spending a lot of time without drinking water and then taking large quantities at once.
Up to 6 hours after the activity, the amount of liquid consumed must be greater than that of the liquid that was lost by the body.
Signs of Lack of Hydration
Our body needs water and without it it cannot function properly. Therefore, when hydration levels are below ideal, it emits a distress signal. It’s a way of saying “I’m thirsty!”. Cramps, muscle spasms or tendonitis, chronic fatigue, a sudden drop in performance and digestive problems are warnings that cannot be ignored at all.
Clean and Fresh Water
Paying attention to the amounts of liquid we drink is only the first step. It is necessary to take into account the quality of it. We feel much more encouraged to drink the correct amount if the water is clean, fresh and free of impurities. But in addition, we guarantee that the drink we are drinking will be good for our body.
But how to be sure? The simplest and safest way is to use filters or water purifiers.
Filter for Fridge has both products with the best cost x benefit in the market. Visit www.filterforfridge.com and discover all the options to keep your body hydrated before, during and after training.
