Scribd
Upload
57 views3 pages

How Much Should You Drink To Avoid Dehydration?: Man Drinking Bottle of Watter

The document discusses how much fluid a person should drink before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration. It recommends drinking 1-2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise, another half cup immediately before, and half to one cup every 15-20 minutes during exercise. After exercise, the recommendation is to drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise. Sports drinks are recommended if exercising over an hour or in ultra-endurance events lasting over 4 hours as they provide carbohydrates and sodium to aid in hydration and absorption. Signs of dehydration include fatigue, lightheadedness, dark urine, and flushed skin.

Uploaded by

Eunice Agustin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
57 views3 pages

How Much Should You Drink To Avoid Dehydration?: Man Drinking Bottle of Watter

The document discusses how much fluid a person should drink before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration. It recommends drinking 1-2 cups of fluid 2 hours before exercise, another half cup immediately before, and half to one cup every 15-20 minutes during exercise. After exercise, the recommendation is to drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost during exercise. Sports drinks are recommended if exercising over an hour or in ultra-endurance events lasting over 4 hours as they provide carbohydrates and sodium to aid in hydration and absorption. Signs of dehydration include fatigue, lightheadedness, dark urine, and flushed skin.

Uploaded by

Eunice Agustin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

How Much Should You Drink to Avoid

Dehydration?
Man Drinking Bottle of Watter
The most likely answer is that you are beginning to feel the effects of dehydration. Generally, the
average person is not 100 percent hydrated. Add exercise and a warm climate, and it spells
dehydration in a big way.

Do not depend on thirst as a signal to avoid dehydration!


Your body's drive to drink is not nearly as powerful as its drive to eat, and the thirst mechanism
is even less powerful during exercise. Therefore, you must plan to drink early and often.

How Much Should You Drink?


Before exercise:
Drink one to two cups (eight to 16 ounces) of fluid two hours before exercise to make sure you
are well hydrated. Then drink another one-half to one cup immediately before exercise.
During exercise:
Drink one-half to one cup every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Although this might seem
tough at first, once you schedule it into your regular training routine, you will quickly adapt to
having fluid in your stomach. In fact, the fuller your stomach is, the faster it will empty.
After exercise:
Replace any fluid you have lost. Drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight you
lose during exercise.
In hot, humid weather, you need to drink more than usual. (But do not forget that dehydration
also occurs during cold weather exercise--your body temperature rises, and you still lose water
through perspiration and respiration.)

What Should You Drink?


Should you just reach for the water bottle when you need to hydrate, or are sports drinks better?
The answer to this question depends on how much and how hard you exercise--and how much
you like water!
If you exercise less than one hour, water should be fine.

If you exercise longer than one hour, the fluid should also supply energy to your working
muscles. In this case, drink about two to four cups per hour of fluids with carbohydrate
concentrations of from 4 to 8 percent. (Most sports drinks fall in this range.)

The ideal fluid replacement beverage should encourage fluid consumption and promote fluid
absorption.
What About the Sodium in Most Sports Drinks?
The average exerciser does not need to replace sodium or other electrolytes during exercise.
Even well trained marathoners will reserve enough sodium to complete a competition. After
heavy exercise, however, it is best to eat a meal that contains some sodium to replace what you
may have lost. Follow your cravings--do not worry about restricting the sodium in your food
immediately after running a marathon.
If you are participating in an ultra-endurance event that lasts four hours or more, you should
consume a sports drink that contains sodium. Fifty to 120 milligrams consumed during exercise
should be sufficient. (Sodium content in sports drinks can range from eight to 116 milligrams.
Read the label.)

If you are just an average exerciser, you might think sodium in drinks is just a waste. However,
sodium may play a different role for you. Sodium helps your body absorb fluid, and along with
sugar, sodium may enhance a drink's taste, which can encourage you to drink more.

Therefore, if you are an avid water drinker, you will benefit little from using a sports drink unless
you are exercising for at least one hour. However, if you do not like water, sports drinks that taste
good and contain less than 8 percent carbohydrate and some sodium might offer you a
performance advantage. At the very least, if they encourage you to drink more, they will have
done their job.

Signs of Dehydration
It is essential that you are aware of the warning signs of dehydration and heat stress.
Early signs include:
fatigue
lightheadedness
appetite loss
dark urine with a strong odor
flushed skin
heat intolerance
Severe signs include:
difficulty swallowing
sunken eyes and dim vision
stumbling
painful urination
clumsiness
numb skin
shrivelled skin
delirium
muscle spasms
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids especially if you exhibit any of these warning signs.
Article prescribed by:

IDEA Health and Fitness Association

You might also like