One of the most important facets of our overall health is hydration. Not only does dehydration lower your performance and increase the risk of injury, but it is also the limiting factor for energy processes to burn fat.
Studies have shown that dehydration of as little as 1% of body mass can have negative impacts on the body’s heat regulation during exercise! This is important as high body temperatures can lead to further dehydration, increased heart rate, and other potentially dangerous conditions. Dehydration also leads to a decrease in power and skill performance, meaning that your regular training intensity will suffer.
Dehydration also makes you feel hungry. In fact, a lot of the time your body will confuse dehydration with hunger, leading to excessive snacking and over-eating.
So how much water should you be drinking? 🤔
33-35ml per kg of body weight is recommended. For example, a 90kg person should average about 2970ml, or 2.9L – 3L daily.
Tips to help improve your water intake:
-Set reminders on your phone to drink water
-Always keep a bottle or glass of water nearby. Ideally within your line of sight so you can see it and drink consistently throughout the day
-Drink two glasses of water first thing in the morning before food or coffee
-Use a bigger bottle of water. For example, if your intake should be at 2 liters, use a 2-liter bottle of water and make sure you have finished it by the end of the day
-Remove sugary drinks from your diet
Have you had enough water today? Here’s your reminder 😄
