Hydration: Key to success
When it comes to hydration in exercise or fitness in general not a lot of people think about hydrating themselves before hand. When they think about it it’s to late because they forgot it at home. Drinking enough water before a workout increases the odds of performing better and feeling less burnt out.
Like many CrossFit gyms, it’s hot and people sweat a lot. As we sweat our bodies will release sweat to cool our self. What happens though if our bodies can’t produce enough sweat to cool us down? We feel tired, sluggish, burnt out, or overheat. Eating food and hydrating are equally as important as one another for fitness success.
According to WebMD, prior to exercise we should all consume 16 oz. of water and 4-6 oz. during a workout. By drinking during the workout will help keep our body from draining all the fluid we have to cool ourselves. Just because a workout is over doesn’t mean drinking water is done too. After a workout, it is recommended should have 20oz. of water to help fully relish what was lost.
For those who are not water drinkers but enjoy the Gatorade or Powerade. These work as well but to a point. These drinks are designed to help replace the lost glucose (sugar) that we lose during a workout. The problem we these is sometimes we consume to much of this and can feel heavy or sluggish. A way to help prevent this feeling is diluting the drinks with water. This will still provide the needed glucose and hydration to help perform at our best.
Overall, hydrating regularly is needed for performance enough if your not working out that day. Drinking water before, during, and after are keys to success that will help boost how our bodies feel and our performance.