Did you know that the amount of fluid you have in your body is vital to keeping your body in good condition? While we exercise, our body temperature rises.
In response to this change, our body attempts to cool down through sweating. As water drips out of the millions of tiny sweat glands, the water is evaporated and takes away a lot of that excess heat.
The sweating process is actually a vital one; it also cleanses the body of toxins. Even small amounts of exercise can cause a person to lose large amounts of fluids. During intense workouts, a person can lose on average 3 quarts of fluid.
This is a lot of water. The side effects of losing too much water is dizziness, muscle cramps, and even heat stroke. Losing water puts a lot of extra stress on the cardiovascular system.
So how do you prevent yourself from losing too much water while exercising? Make sure you drink water before, during, and after a workout. This will ensure that you have enough fluids to keep you going.
Drink roughly 18 oz. before beginning your exercises. Top it up with 30 oz. every hour during the workout, and finally finish off drinking 20 oz. after you’ve completed the fitness session.
Stay away from any drinks that contain ingredients that might dehydrate your body during a workout. Coffee can act as a diuretic and have you running for the bathroom too often.
Alcohol is obviously a bad idea if you plan on taking part in any strenuous activity. Alcohol can also raise the blood pressure and increase your temperature, which makes cooling down very difficult.
There are a lot of specially designed sports drinks that claim to rehydrate you quickly. It is true they do contain good rehydration salts, but they also have high sugar content.
Drinking these commercial drinks will make losing weight so much more difficult.
Most soft drinks and concentrated juices contain ingredients that make recovery from exercise slower. It’s better to stick with fresh water.
Try and find drinks that contain small amounts of sodium, potassium, and a little magnesium. These supplements can help to increase your body’s cell activity.
Both sodium and potassium help to maintain a health cardiovascular system during and after exercise. I also recommend you read this post here to find out three most effective weight loss drinks.
You may have heard of the isotonic sports drinks. These beverages are a good supplement to take while doing a fitness routine. They contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes needed by your body. Make sure you look for sports drinks with low sugar content.
Being aware of your fluid intake and loss will help you to maintain a healthy body and achieve your exercise goals more efficiently.