Drink Up

Drink Up!  How Much Should You Drink?

You have been jogging for 20 minutes. You are hot and sweaty, and you are beginning to tire. What is the problem? The most likely answer is that you are beginning to feel the effects of dehydration. Generally, the average person is not 100 percent hydrated. Add exercise and a warm climate, and it spells dehydration in a big way.

Do not depend on thirst as a signal to avoid dehydration! Your body's drive to drink is not nearly as powerful as its drive to eat, and the thirst mechanism is even less powerful during exercise. Therefore, you must plan to drink early and often.

How Much Should You Drink?

Follow these guidelines:

Before exercise: Drink one to two cups (eight to 16 ounces) of fluid two hours before exercise to make sure you are well hydrated. Then drink another one-half to one cup immediately before exercise.

During exercise: Drink one-half to one cup every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Although this might seem tough at first, once you schedule it into your regular training routine, you will quickly adapt to having fluid in your stomach. In fact, the fuller your stomach is, the faster it will empty.

After exercise: Replace any fluid you have lost. Drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight you lose during exercise.

In hot, humid weather, you need to drink more than usual. (But do not forget that dehydration also occurs during cold weather exercise--your body temperature rises, and you still lose water through perspiration and respiration.)

What Should You Drink?

Should you just reach for the water bottle when you need to hydrate, or are sports drinks better? The answer to this question depends on how much and how hard you exercise--and how much you like water!

The ideal fluid replacement beverage should encourage fluid consumption and promote fluid absorption. If you exercise less than one hour, water should be fine. If you exercise longer than one hour, the fluid should also supply...