Water is an important substance for us to maintain health, and the human body will replenish and lose water in a variety of ways, especially during exercise, the loss of water is more obvious, so how to replenish water during exercise? Let's start by understanding some of the basics about hydration.
First of all, water is essential for homeostasis, it is the largest component of the human body, the total water in our body accounts for 45% ~ 75% of the human body, the approximate proportion is shown in the figure below.
Breathing, non-sensational perspiration, urination, loss of water from the gastrointestinal tract during metabolic processes, and defecation all contribute to the loss of total water in the body. Excessive loss of water from fever, burns, diarrhea, vomiting, injury, exposure to heat, or exercise can even be damaging to health.
With so many paths to water loss, how can we tell if we are dehydrated after exercise, how to avoid dehydration caused by exercise, and how to hydrate?
One: What is dehydration
Dehydration refers to the process of losing water from the body, while too little water refers to the loss of water in the body that is not compensated. Depending on the amount of fluid lost, dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe.
2. What are the symptoms of dehydration?
Symptoms of mild and moderate dehydration include thirst, dry mouth, low urination, dry, cold skin, headaches, muscle cramps, and darkened urine.
Signs and symptoms of severe dehydration include: increased core body temperature, low blood pressure (hypotension), shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, confusion, sunken eyes, and even shock.
Three: dehydration during exercise
During exercise, dehydration occurs when the water loss caused by perspiration in the body is not adequately replenished.
In hot and humid environments, as well as at high altitudes, the risk of dehydration is greater. Clothing, equipment, heat tolerance, exercise intensity, duration of exercise, body shape, and an individual's sweat rate can all contribute to dehydration.
Four: Suggestions for exercising hydration
Because there are so many factors that affect sweat loss – including climate, training or sporting events, clothing, sports equipment, climate adaptability, individual sweat rates and differences in electrolyte loss – it is not possible to set a one-size-fits-all hydration guideline for everyone.
However, the following research-based recommendations can be adapted based on a comprehensive assessment of individual water and electrolyte loss in different settings.
Before exercise
Many athletes and regular exercisers often start training or exercising when they are too hydrated, which makes it difficult for them to achieve normal hydration during training, so the goal of hydration before exercise is to achieve a normal state of hydration by hydrating in advance, and even if necessary, to hydrate a few hours before the start of exercise to give enough time to absorb water and produce urine.
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4 hours before exercise, athletes should slowly replenish enough water until the urine output reaches 5~7 ml/kg body weight (0.076~0.108 oz/lb) so that there is enough time to expel excess ineffective water. Adding sodium to a pre-workout meal or snack with sports drinks or salt can help athletes retain more fluid.
During exercise
During a sedentary lifestyle, the average human body loses about 0.3 liters of sweat per hour through senseless perspiration and sweating. Sweat loss during training ranges from 0.3 liters ~ more than 4.6 liters per hour, while sodium loss ranges from 230~2277 mg or more per liter of sweat. In light of this change, it's important to have a personalized hydration plan.
Most athletes can maintain adequate hydration by consuming 0.4~0.8 liters of water per hour (13~27 ounces/hour).
Athletes with a higher rate of sweating (>1.2 liters/hour) or those with a higher salt content of sweat who exercise for more than 2 hours are more likely to experience significant sodium loss, so they should choose to consume sodium-containing beverages during exercise.
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Drinks containing 6% ~ 8% carbohydrates are ideal, as sports drinks containing more than 8% carbohydrates will delay the rate of gastric emptying, which may cause stomach upset. It is recommended to drink a cool but not cold drink at a temperature of 10°C~15°C.
After exercise
Many athletes, both competitive and recreational, end up in a state of lack of water.
After exercise, they may continue to sweat and will also promote urination to lose some more water, so athletes need to consume more fluids to compensate for the overall fluid loss and restore fluid balance.
Their hydration goal should be 125%~150% of their water loss (20~24 ounces of water per pound of body weight, or about 1.5 liters of water per kilogram of body weight).
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If you drink a sodium-free beverage, the large amount of water you consume after exercise can lead to an increase in urine output, so sodium should be included in your post-workout meals, snacks or beverages to replenish sodium and enhance hydration.
When sodium loss is high, salt can be added to food. This method helps compensate for the loss of water caused by increased urination after drinking a lot of water.
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