Thirsty Thursday

dememorales007
Mar 5, 2015
2 min read

You bet I’m thirsty this Thursday. Well…maybe not in the same way you would think, given that I am a college student. After four long days it’s one day closer to Friday, and boy, am I dehydrated! Being on this yoga kick, I’ve been sweating more than I ever have in my life, and if you know me, you know that I’m probably one of the sweatiest people that you may have ever met. I mean am I the only one who manages to sweat when it’s cold? Maybe, but if not and you’re like me then this post is a must read!

Recently, I’ve been extremely curious of what I should be drinking before and after a workout to avoid dehydration. I’ve read all over the web that it is recommended that people should drink eight 8-oz glasses of water, which is about 2 liters or a half-gallon in a day. If you’re curious in regards to working out, WebMD.com provides great information of when and how much water you should consumer before and during a workout, which states:

One to two hours before your workout, drink 15 to 20 ounces of water
15 minutes before you begin, drink between 8 and 10 ounces of water
During your workout, drink another 8 ounces every 15 minutes.

When deciding what to drink as far as a sports drink go, in comparing Gatorade, Propel, etc., vs. plain old water, I think it would just depend on what your preference is. This is because if you prefer something with taste, you may be prone to drink more fluids. However, if you don’t mind drinking clean filtered water, it is easily absorbed into your system, and a good option to replenish the fluids you lost through sweat from a workout. If you decide to drink a sports drink, it should be done so after a workout that last roughly an hour or longer. Here’s why:

“Sports drinks also contain electrolytes and carbohydrates. While exercising for short periods of time, it is not necessary to replace electrolytes; however, athletes and marathon participants exercising for period of an hour or more can benefit from electrolyte replacement in particular. Carbohydrates offer the body energy. When the body burns calories, it needs carbohydrates to replace energy lost. The longer the workout, the more carbohydrates are needed.” – fitday.com

My last tidbit of knowledge to throw at you for Thirsty Thursday is to AVOID drinking energy drinks, and over doing carbohydrate sports drinks! They contain empty calories that only give you short bursts of energy but in the end you come crashing down!