Hydration

 

Hydration

We all know it’s important to exercise regularly. You may be surprised to learn though, that proper hydration during and after exercise is just as important. When we exercise the main way the body maintains optimal temperature is through sweating. Sweating, while allowing heat to leave the body, also results in fluid loss. The higher the temperature, humidity or exercise intensity, the more fluid is lost.

Why should you drink during exercise?

According to Sports Dietitians Australia the rate of sweat loss during exercise is usually more than you can drink, which highlights why it’s important to start an exercise session well hydrated and to drink fluid during and after exercise. [i]

Drinking plenty of fluids while exercising helps: maintain muscle function and prevent muscle cramps; replace fluids lost through sweating; the body regulate its core temperature; minimise the risk of heat stress. Hydration also improves exercise tolerance and enjoyment, as well as assisting in energy levels during exercise.[ii]

What should you drink?

Given the number of sports drinks on the market, it can be easy to assume that a sports beverage is the best when it comes to hydration after exercise. However, Sports Dietitians of Australia advise that drinking plain water is effective enough to replace fluids for low intensity and short duration workouts. All sports drinks contain three basic ingredients — water, sugar and salt. [iii]While water is essential for rehydration, sugar and salt are not always the best choices. In fact, they often just add unnecessary kilojoules — something you probably want to avoid if you are exercising in a bid to lose weight.When it comes to sports drinks, Sports Dietitians of Australia advise they are really only beneficial for people participating in long endurance events, such as marathons or triathlons.For the average Australian, water is sufficient when it comes to rehydrating after sport and exercise.

How much should you drink?

There is no hard and fast rule about how much to drink when it comes to exercise. After all, everyone is different and has different needs. But you do need to hydrate appropriately.  This means making sure you are sufficiently hydrated before your workout. It’s especially important you don’t begin your workout thirsty. Ensure you sip small amounts of water regularly during your exercise or sporting session, and continue to drink water throughout the day, according to your thirst. One way to determine how much fluid you need to replace is to weigh yourself before and after exercise. The difference in weight is how much fluid has been lost. This is how much you need to drink to replace lost fluids. Whatever your exercise regime, getting enough fluid is vital for your health and performance. Unless you are participating in endurance-type activities, make water We all know how it feels not to be properly hydrated. From experiencing thirst to feeling sluggish to noticing that you don't need to urinate

as frequently as usual, it's clear that being dehydrated can negatively affect how we feel and move through the day. While drinking enough fluid is key to helping us feel our best, less of a focus is placed on the importance of cellular hydration, or having enough fluid in the cells to allow them to do their job. But what is hydration when it comes to cells, and why is hydration important on a cellular level?

What Is Cellular Hydration?

Your body is made of trillions of cells. These cells require fluid to maintain their structure and, in turn, to function properly. Taking in enough fluid is the first step to achieving cellular hydration. Your cell membranes are highly permeable to water (meaning they permit water to pass through them), and water follows osmotic gradients. Osmotic gradients are generated when the concentration of solutes, such as sodium, is higher on one side of the membrane than the other. In the context of your cells, this means if you don't have enough water circulating through your body, water will be drawn from the inside of the cells due to increased osmotic pressure — causing those cells to shrink. When your body contains enough water, this lowers the concentration of solutes in your body fluids, which allows more water to move inside of the cells and restore their shape.

"Maintaining cellular hydration can help protect your cells so they can carry out your body's key functions. What's more, chronic cellular dehydration is linked to unwanted health effects later in life, such as insulin resistance and hypertension, for example," says Jennifer Williams, MPH, a nutrition scientist at Abbott specializing in hydration.

How to Support Cellular Hydration When you think of maintaining your hydration levels, ensuring the hydration of all cells in your body probably isn't top of mind. But supporting cellular hydration is an important factor in health and wellness.

Here are a few simple ways to support cellular hydration:

 Supplying your body with enough fluid is the most important step in maintaining cellular hydration as inadequate fluid intake can disrupt the concentration of your body fluid and lead to cellular shrinkage. Generally speaking, aim to drink enough to replace water losses and provide for regular excretion. Exactly how much water you should drink can vary widely based on a variety of factors, from your sex to your activity level to the climate. If you lose excessive amounts of fluid due to sweating, vomiting, diarrhea or other causes, be sure to replenish your body appropriately.

Take in Adequate Electrolytes The body aims to maintain a balance between the fluid inside the cells (intracellular) and the space outside the cells (extracellular). One of the ways it does this is by relying on electrolytes to regulate osmotic pressure, which helps the cells balance fluids across the cellular membrane. Sodium, potassium and chloride are important electrolytes. Magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonates play important roles in cellular hydration, too. For generally healthy people, eating balanced meals that contain these nutrients may be adequate. However, if you're losing lots of fluids due to illness, exercise, travel or heat, try a hydration drink that contains these electrolytes.

 

When you're focused on replenishing your body from fluid loss, be sure to include electrolytes at the same time. A bit of salt (sodium chloride) and a touch of sugar in your drink can help fuel your body with some electrolytes and glucose to help promote proper fluid balance and cellular hydration.

 

Eat Hydrating Foods Every Day

Sure, you should sip on water or other fluids consistently throughout the day. But don't forget that your body also relies on foods for hydration support. Watermelon, cucumbers and grapes are all made up of large amounts of water, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables like these can help ensure you're getting enough.

 

Your cells help your body function properly, and they can't do their job well when they've lost their structural integrity. By replenishing fluid loss on a daily basis and taking in enough electrolytes, you can help your cells stay adequately hydrated — which is exactly what they need to be. your first choice.