Don't Sweat Hydration

Hydration: Don't Sweat It!

Think back to that hot summer day in the middle of July. You had just finished running or walking through the park. You are now extremely thirsty, hot, and feel like sitting down requires too much effort. It may not be evident, but these are all signs that you are most likely dehydrated. This could have happened because you did not drink enough water before or during exercise.

The recommended guidelines for average water consumption are 13 cups a day for men and 9 cups a day for women. The water or fluid needs before and after your workout depend on your body weight. It is suggested that you should drink 1 ounce of fluid for every 10 lbs of your total body weight four hours before exercising and an additional 0.6 ounces of fluids for every 10 lbs of your total body weight two hours before exercising depending on your individual hydration needs. That would mean that if someone weighs 150 pounds, they would need at least 15 ounces of fluids 4 hours before their workout and at least 9 ounces of fluids 2 hours before their workout. Also, the suggestion for fluids post workout depends on the difference between your pre and post workout weight. For every pound lost, drink about 24 ounces (4 cups) of fluids as soon as possible after exercising.

It’s clear that fluids, especially water, is important for everyday hydration and hydration during exercise. Below is a recipe for a refreshing fruit water that adds blended fruit juice to your water to incorporate more flavor and make hydrating more enjoyable.

Summer Fruit Water 

Ingredients:

½ orange, lemon or lime, juiced

1/3 cup desired fruit, like watermelon, berries, or kiwi, chopped

2-3 mint leaves

16 ounces of water

Directions:

Combine desired fruit/fruit juice into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour puree into a strainer over a small bowl to release juices and remove excess pulp. To serve, combine water with juice mixture and add in mint leaves for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Alternate preparation suggestion: You could also just cut up the fruit and leave it in the water for 2-3 hours to flavor the water without adding extra juice.  

Recipe adapted from: http://puregoddessuniversity.com/healthy-drinking-alternatives-to-soda/ 

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. How Much Water Do I Need Each Day? 2013. Available at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442462188. Accessed July 31, 2014.
Nutrition for Everyone: Basics: Water DNPAO CDC. Availabe at: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/water.html. Accessed July 31, 2014.
ACE Fit Fitness Facts Healthy Hydration. ACE Fit Fit Inf. Available at: http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-fact-article/173/healthy-hydration/. Accessed July 31st, 2014.
Dunford, M, and J.A. Doyle. Nutriiton for Sports and Exercise. Second ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2012.