In order for the human body to operate most effectively it necessitates adequate hydration, and as the body cannot store water, one needs to drink water regularly to maintain the around 70% balance of water in the body.
Your body loses water throughout the day, which means that you need to drink water to replace what you have lost through sweating, urination etc. This is why the amount of water that is required is not the same for everyone; how much you need to drink on a daily basis depends on your personal weight, diet, body chemistry, geographical region, genera; health, and the amount of exercise that you are currently doing.
When you exercise, you lose bodily fluid in the form of sweat too rapidly for the brain to react soon enough, which basically means that you could become extremely dehydrated without even realising it. Drinking water at this stage will not do much because it takes around an hour for the water to reach your muscles. This is why it is imperative for you to drink sufficient water around an hour before you exercise so that your body is sufficiently hydrated to handle the loss of fluids during exercise without becoming dehydrated.
Common signs that you may be dehydrated as a result of your workout include:
- Cramping: Your muscles consist of around 79% water – when you are dehydrated, electrolyte abnormalities such as the loss of potassium occur, resulting in muscle weakness and cramping.
- Fatigue: Feeling fatigued before even starting a workout is an indisputable sign that you are dehydrated. Make sure that you rehydrate and if you are going to be exercising for an extended period of time, and also drink water throughout the exercise.
- Rapid Pulse Rate: Monitor your heart-rate when exercising, as a rapid pulse-rate could be a sign of dehydration. If it slows down when you rehydrate, then you know it was due to dehydration; if not then visit your doctor as it could be due to another reason.
Drink water regularly throughout the day and you will always be hydrated, but even so, make sure that you drink water at least an hour before working out.
