Proper hydration is important year round, but even more important in the summer. The more you sweat, the more water intake you need. Along with this, you may need to even out your electrolytes. When we sweat, we also sweat out salt, which changes the chemistry of our cells.
How much water should you drink? It varies for each person and for different environmental factors. As a general guideline, a healthy consumption is 8-10 cups of water a day (80-100 oz).
When you exercise, that number changes significantly…especially in the heat of the summer. The best way to determine what your intake should be after exercise is by weighing yourself before and after your workout. The difference in your weight is the water weight you lost during that workout. To properly replenish, you need to drink 2 cups of water for every 1 pound lost.
Knowing you need electrolytes can be difficult and you typically need to know your body well. For me, I either get super tired and nothing I do to try to wake up helps, I start feeling nauseous when I drink plain water, or I stay very foggy brained for several hours after I work out.
Not sure what to drink to get electrolytes? There are a lot of drinks out there with electrolytes, but ideally you want to stay away from any of them with sweeteners using corn syrup, sucralose, or asparatame, as all of those are horrible for your body. Personally, I use Vega Sport electrolyte hydrator during my workouts and also drink coconut water later if I am still feeling off.
A little off the subject, but this is a company I use for my pre-workout, protein, quick carb recovery, as well as supplements. Everything is pure and simple. The products are truly amazing.
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