Hydration in Summer
With Summer well and truly under way, a lot of people get concerned about whether or not to exercise.
“I don’t want to pass out”
“Is it too dangerous to exercise when it is so hot?”
“What if I get dehydrated?”
These are some of the concerns I hear regularly in the warmer months. Staying hydrated is extremely important all year round, but in the warmer months where our bodies are losing more water and salts through sweat, hydration becomes a big focus.
Here are 6 tips to staying hydrated in Summer when exercising:
Aim to start with an optimal level of hydration before exercising. This might sound very silly when spelt out like that, but it is concerning how many people are not getting enough hydration on a day to day basis! A good guideline is 30-40ml per kg body weight. So, if you weigh 70kg, you need to aim for 2.1-2.8L of fluids a day!
Check your urine. How well-hydrated you are can also be tell-tale through the colour of your urine. Optimally, you should have pale yellow coloured urine – if it is dark, it means you are dehydrated, and if it is clear, it means you aren’t retaining enough fluids – time to up the electrolytes!
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine are both diuretics and make your body lose more fluids. So, when you know you will be exercising, or competing in a sport / race, try to avoid alcohol leading into the event, and make sure you have the above 2 tips covered!
For exercise less than an hour, drink water. Often I see people go do a 30-60min session at the gym and they are throwing back sports drinks. Whilst this isn’t harmful, it is also not necessary. When you are exercising for short durations (less than an hour), water is sufficient for hydration. Of course, there are the ones who have very salty sweat, in which case, an electrolyte-filled sports drink may be necessary. However, for the majority, water is all we need. If you feel that you might be a big “salty sweater”, you may benefit from a sweat test. Ask your sports dietitian and they can direct you to where you can get this done.
For exercise longer than an hour, add the electrolytes. If you are doing a long event, aim to hydrate with a sports drink that is abundant in electrolytes and has about 6-8% carbohydrates for re-fuelling. A good one would be Gatorade.
Consider your overall diet, as hydration is only one aspect of it all! Do not neglect a well balanced, nutrient rich diet. For athletes, it is important to consider the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats in your diet, especially around training time. Focusing on foods that are nutrient dense ensures that you are getting a lot of your micronutrients as well as the macros. If you are unsure whether you are eating correctly for your training, speak to a sports dietitian who can assist you in figuring this out!
Stay hydrated and have a great Summer!
