Hydration is a vital part of well-being, and every athlete should know exactly how to stay hydrated and how to rehydrate after training or an event. The exact amount of time it takes to rehydrate depends on several factors, like the amount of fluids lost and the size of the person. One thing you want to always avoid is rapidly hydrating, which can throw off your body’s electrolyte balance and lead to potentially dangerous health consequences.
When it comes to good hydration, athletes should learn the basics of calculating fluid intake and loss, and make sure to keep their hydration levels high while participating in physical activity.
Why You Need Proper Rehydration After Exercise
Rehydration helps provide electrolytes to your body, regulates your body temperature to prevent overheating. A 2021 research study published in the Journal of Kinetics found that many athletes mistakenly believe thirst is the key indicator of dehydration and found a strong correlation between knowledge of proper hydration and behavior.
The findings of the study show that education is the cornerstone of good hydration practices, and the more athletes understand how to manage their fluid levels, the better they can effectively train.
When you workout, your body loses key minerals — electrolytes — through sweat. These minerals not only affect muscle coordination but energy levels and organ function. Without them, your body can’t work properly.
Dehydration is the leading cause of muscle cramps among athletes, because reduced electrolyte levels impact the muscles ability to contract and communicate properly.
Not rehydrating after exercise can pose more serious risks, too, like dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even fainting. Every athlete should consider rehydration a part of their training routine.
How to Rehydrate Like a Pro Athlete
If you want to stay safe and healthy during exercise, here are the steps to staying hydrated:
Hydrate While You Workout
Aim to consume about 500 mL of water 2 to 3 hours before your workout. This will give you a good fluid balance that will help your body perform well under physical stress. As a general role, aim to consume 200 to 300 ml of water every 15-30 minutes or so during exercise.
The exact amount of water you’ll need will vary based on the temperature, the type of exercise you’re performing, your weight, height, and age. Be mindful of how much you consume, and avoid over-hydrating, as this doesn’t post any significant benefits to your health.
When exercising for longer than 60 minutes, consider drinks with added electrolytes. The essential mineral boost will add sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other electrolytes to your body, ensuring that your muscles receive the energy and support they need to withstand longer periods of physical activity.
Calculate Your Fluid Loss and Replenish
Many athletes calculate their fluid loss to ensure they are rehydrating enough after workouts. You can do the same by following this process:
- Weigh yourself without clothes before exercise.
- Weigh yourself under the same conditions after working out.
- Subtract your post-workout weight from your pre-workout rate; 1kg lost equates to about 1 liter of fluid loss.
- Consume roughly 1.5 liters of fluid for every kg lost, but be mindful not to consume more than 1419.53 ml per hour to avoid water intoxication.
You can also use this fluid loss calculator by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute to measure your sweat rate.
Rehydrate Slowly Rather Than All at Once
Drinking too much water is dangerous, even if you’re thirsty. Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, dilutes the sodium count in the blood. This can lead to serious side effects like seizures or atrial fibrillation (irregular rhythm of the upper heart chambers).
Drinking 473 ml to 709 ml every two hours can help you rehydrate safely. Sports Dieticians Australia report that you should focus on replenishing 100-125% of the fluids you lost over 4 to 6 hours after exercising.
Add Electrolytes to Your Water
One way to maximize your hydration levels is to ensure you’re replacing vital electrolytes while you work out. Supplements like Fuel X help you stay energized and hydrated with high doses of essential electrolytes mixed into your water bottle.
Hydrating with an endurance blend like Fuel X may be better compared to popular sports drinks, which tend to be extremely high in sugar.
Another great option? Coconut water. It’s comparable to sports drinks in electrolyte count, and rich in two minerals that support muscle function: potassium and sodium chloride.
Check for Signs of Dehydration
Dehydration isn’t always marked by extreme thirst. In fact, you can be dehydrated and not crave fluids. As dehydration progresses, it can disrupt the body’s natural signals, including the thirst reflex.
That being said, thirst is just one possible sign you need to replenish your fluids.
Warning signs of dehydration in adults to watch out for include:
- Headache
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Weakness
- High heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Dry cough
- Feeling tired
- Swollen feet
- Muscle cramps
- Feeling heat sensitive
- Chills
- Constipation
- Dark urine
Any time you notice signs of dehydration, stop and hydrate. If you need to cut a training session early, that’s okay. Remember that your health and well-being are always more important than meeting any benchmark. Staying safe allows you to train more effectively and, ultimately, get better results.
How to Avoid Dehydration When Training
There are several ways athletes can prevent dehydration, including using hydration supplements with electrolytes, hydrating well before a workout, and avoiding exercise in high temperatures.
Rather than replenish all your fluids after exercise, aim to stay consistently hydrated throughout your training session. This will help boost your endurance, aid muscle recovery, and prevent muscle cramps and injury.
How Fixx Nutrition Can Boost Hydration
As athletes ourselves, we know firsthand how important it is to give your body the fuel it needs. That’s why we made Fuel X, an all-in-one electrolyte blend that packs everything you need into one convenient satchel. Every packet includes sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to give your muscles the energy they need to stay strong.
Avoid burnout during sport by mixing one scoop with 500-700 ml of water. Refuel with 1-2 scoops during the first hour of exercise and 2-3 every hour afterward. It’s really that easy.
Shop our sports range to find your perfect hydration match.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8336541/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3293068/v
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration#symptoms-and-causes
