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Proper hydration of the body – what do you need to know about it? When those hot days begin, you want to drink more. We often reach for water, fruit drinks, non-alcoholic beer (and not only that). How should we hydrate the body best and how much fluid should we drink during our training?


Proper hydration - what does it mean?

The adult human body is 60% water, but this level decreases with age - in a newborn, water constitutes 75% of the body weight, in a senior about 50%. In order for all organs to function properly, it is necessary to provide the body with the right amount of fluids every day.


What Happens When Hydration Is Insufficient?

Dehydration occurs when the level of water and electrolytes is too low and begins to interfere with the proper functioning of the body. If it lasts more than a few hours, it becomes a threat to health and life. Thermoregulation, transport of organic components, metabolism and removal of unnecessary, harmful substances are disturbed. However, the body can give clear signals that it is not properly hydrated. Even a decrease in the level of hydration by 1-2% in relation to body weight is clearly felt and signaled. Here are the most common symptoms of initial dehydration:

  • An intense feeling of thirst
  • Dry mouth, but also a sense of dry eyes, chapped lips
  • Headaches and dizziness
  • Drowsiness (but in some people on the contrary - feeling agitated, unable to concentrate)
  • Weakness, inability to make any effort

The good news is that the body can assimilate the fluids it needs very quickly and after a few minutes of drinking most of the symptoms will disappear.


What if we don't refill these fluids? There will be further symptoms of advanced and finally extreme dehydration:

  • Accelerated heart rate
  • Fever
  • Infrequent bowel movements (dark urine) and bloated stomach
  • Slowing down of thought processes, difficulty concentrating, delirium
  • Convulsions, rapid breathing, loss of consciousness

To many, it may seem that such severe dehydration can only happen to someone who has been hiking for several days in the desert. But in fact, we can become dehydrated quite easily. Does this happen often to people who ride a bike? Why? Exposure to the sun and physical exertion cause increased fluid loss. At the same time, the rush of air, sometimes a cool wind, disturbs the feeling of heat and dries sweaty clothes, so we are not aware of progressing dehydration.


How much to drink and what to drink?

According to the recommendations of physiologists, doctors and nutritionists, women should drink about 2 liters of liquid a day, and men about half a liter more. You can also use the conversion rate of 25-35 ml of fluids for every kilogram of body weight. However, the need for fluids depends on:

  • Physical effort (not only practicing sports, but also physical work)
  • Type of diet (the more protein and fiber in the diet, the greater the need for fluids)
  • Health condition (pregnancy, food poisoning, fever resulting from infection)
  • Ambient temperature - the warmer, the more we drink.
  • Air humidity - that's why we should drink a lot in winter in heated apartments

And what should we drink?

20% of fluids should be contained in food. So, vegetables, fruits, soups, cocktails, jellies - these dishes certainly hydrate. Of course, they also contain a lot of other ingredients and when arranging a diet, we must remember about it, for example about the content of sugars in fruit.

Water is certainly an excellent fluid to prevent dehydration. It is worth reaching for one with mineral content, but we should also be aware of the amount of minerals we need.

A good choice is water mixed with fruit juice or enriched with a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice. There are many possibilities, each has a positive effect on the body. However, we avoid carbonated drinks - they often do more harm than good.

If the tea is weak. Same with coffee. These drinks, when strong, can often lead to dehydration of the body.

Isotonic and hypotonic drinks also work great (osmolality at a level similar or lower than body fluids, thanks to which they are quickly absorbed), especially if we practice sports (long-term training - isotonic, short, and intensive training - hypotonic).


How much to drink during training?

Of course, it all depends on the intensity and length of training, but it's worth implementing the following rules:

  • Drink 300-500 ml of water 2-3 hours before training and then about 200 ml 20 minutes before training.
  • Provide approximately 500 ml of fluids every hour of training. More if you're training outside on a warm day. Drink often, in small portions, do not wait for those feelings of thirst.
  • After exercise (within an hour or two), drink about 250-500 ml of fluids (some may be in the form of a protein shake).

At the end…

Don't wait for thirst! If you feel thirsty, your body is already experiencing dehydration. Drink small portions and often. A bottle of water should always be nearby, regardless of whether we work at a desk, clean the apartment or exercise at the gym.

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