Drinking water is essential for your daily health. But what happens when you drink too much water? Yes, proper hydration is important for performance for training athletes or regular exercisers, but do you know that drinking too much water can be just as serious as not drinking enough water? Although we are usually advised to hydrate repeatedly during exercise, the question for today is how much water is too much water? You don’t need a jugThe body primarily loses water through sweat during exercise and a small amount is also let out as water vapor in your breath. Dehydration can occur when the fluids lost during an exercise are not replaced. Generally, your training performance can remarkably decrease when 2% or more of body weight is lost through sweat and although workout performance declines rapidly with dehydration, you don’t need to consume a gallon or 16 cups of water during your training. According to the Institute of Medicine, a gallon or 16 cups of water is what healthy men consume in an entire day. For women, the guidelines recommend about three-fourths of a gallon or a little over 11 cups of water per day. One of the most effective ways to maintain exercise capacity is to prevent dehydration. Consuming the right amount of water during an exercise helps in transporting nutrients in the body, removing waste products, providing cushioning, and prevents overheating. There is no doubt that proper hydration is vital for performance but drinking water in excess has no benefits. What happens when you overhydrate?Overhydration is usually a result of excess water in the body. Although overhydration is rare, recreational athletes are at a higher risk compared to other groups. Drinking plain water helps to replace fluids but it doesn’t replace electrolytes and other minerals your body loses during exercise. Overhydration also depletes the electrolytes in your body and increases the risk of developing electrolyte imbalance post-workout. Drinking too much plain water while sweating profusely can cause blood sodium levels to fall, this condition is known as hyponatremia. Symptoms of these conditions include bloating, puffiness, and muscles pre-workout and post-workout but these symptoms can get worse in extreme cases. Hydrating properlyOne of the best and easiest ways to properly hydrate is by paying attention to your thirst. Hydrating before, during, and after workouts when you feel thirsty is a practical strategy for training. However, when it comes to an intense workout, you will need more than plain water for optimal hydration. Electrolyte drinks are ideal for staying hydrated and replenishing nutrients balance after intense sweating. Isagenix AMPED Hydrate is a great alternative to ordinary sports drinks that can replenish electrolytes lost while sweating without excess sugar and calories like other known sports drinks.
Even though overhydration and hyponatremia are rare, drinking more water than you need has no benefit to your body. The body does not store extra water for future use and must get rid of excess water to maintain fluid balance. Next time you hit the gym, leave the gallon at home, all you need is a quality electrolyte drink like AMPED Hydrate, it will give you and your family the hydration you need. Comments are closed.
|