Written by: Trent Rincon, PT, MPT, CSCS, FRAS, FRC/MS
There are three functional pillars you cannot live without: Oxygen, water, and sleep. They are absolutely vital to your ability to survive, let alone your ability to function throughout the day. Taking time to breathe, rest, and hydrate will not only help you feel better, but it will also help you move and perform better. Understanding your body’s individual needs when it comes to these three pillars will improve your athletic ability and your body’s overall functionality. And especially in a recovery stage such as from injury, these pillars maximize your body’s ability to restore health to a higher level. Let’s focus in on hydration.
WHEN SHOULD YOU HYDRATE
You should hydrate early and often. Think back to the three pillars you need for survival. If you are sleeping for 7-9 hours, that is 7-9 hours without any sort of hydration. Starting your day with 12-15 ounces of water (not coffee, so sorry to the coffee lovers out there) will help you boost your overall functionality. Aiming to consume a majority of your water intake in the first half of the day will also impact your sleep function as well. If you are hydrating at the end of the day, this could impact your sleep cycle. Read “Effects of Dehydration on Athletic Performance” to learn more about hydrating before, during, and after activity.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING
A good rule of thumb for the amount of water you should consume is half your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 145 pounds, your starting water intake should be 72.5 ounces. While this rule of thumb is helpful, it is not all encompassing. There are individual needs and tendencies to be addressed here. If you consume a beverage that is not water – any caffeinated drink, any alcoholic drink, or juice – 8 ounces of water should be added to your daily amount. Water is an internal cleanser. Adding in the extra water not only cleanses these beverages out, but it also balances any dehydrating effects they may have. With exercise, electrolytes can help you stay better hydrated.
HYDRATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT WATER
Hydration is not just about drinking water. While water is obviously a key component to hydration, electrolytes help your body retain water, especially during physical activities.
WHAT ARE ELECTROLYTES
Salts like sodium, magnesium, and potassium are three main electrolytes to look for in supplements. These are going to help you stay hydrated and, in turn, help you perform your best. An overall standard for salt intake is 3000-5000 mg daily. This increases by 1000 mg per hour of exercise. However, this can vary based on your diet and exercise preferences. First, your diet. If you are eating whole foods and generally cooking everything yourself, you are ingesting less salt than someone who is eating out from time to time, or someone who often eats processed foods. Eating whole foods naturally puts your diet at a lower salt intake, so adding in a little more salt to your food and seeking out supplements can help you reach that 3000-5000 mg threshold. Second, exercise. There are many electrolyte options out on the market and choosing what type of supplement can depend on your sport. Sugar in supplements can be a bit of a hot topic. However, they have their place for certain athletes. If you are an endurance athlete, sugar is easily burned. It can keep you going during the long runs or rides and help keep you going. If you are not training for endurance, but are doing other workouts that are anaerobic, like weight training, sugar is not going to help you perform better. It will pass through your system like normal and not give you any benefit. Understanding what your workouts are and the demands of the day are will help you optimize your experience with your supplement. There is not a one-size-fits-all electrolyte on the market that can help you with endurance and loading simultaneously. If you do cross train, seek out multiple supplements to help you perform your best in each athletic category. Salt is mismanaged and underutilized, but it is one of the most powerful performance supplements out there. Salt will not only help you stay hydrated, it will help you go further, lift heavier, and perform better overall.