Hydration is vital to exercise, but drinking water isn’t just about nourishing the body before and during a workout. Rehydrating after the workout is also key to ensuring faster recovery, as hydration plays a critical role in the recovery process.
Aside from quenching your thirst and replenishing the body, water helps boost performance and prevent injury during a workout. Staying hydrated is also directly related to regulating body temperature and preventing overheating, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke because exercise raises the body’s internal temperature.
Electrolytes, essential for organ function and muscle contraction, are lost through sweat. Without rehydrating post-exercise, there is a risk of muscle cramps, passing out, and more significant medical issues.
Hydration Tips To Recover From A Workout
Drinking water post-workout is the key to rehydrating, but there are ways to maximize the benefits.
Assess Urine Color
The color of your urine can help assess rehydration needs. At optimal hydration levels, urine is clear with a tinge of yellow. Continue rehydrating until your urine reflects that you are adequately hydrated. Dark yellow or amber-colored urine indicates you haven’t consumed enough fluids and could indicate mild dehydration.
Calculate Lost Fluid After Working Out
Record your weight before and after a workout, then subtract the number of ounces you consumed in fluids during the exercise to calculate the amount of fluid lost during your workout. Convert the ounces of liquid to pounds and then subtract from your weight, or convert your weight to ounces and then subtract the number of fluid ounces consumed to establish the approximate amount of water you need to consume post-work-out.
Drink Water Throughout The Workout
Drinking water while working out quenches your thirst and helps rehydration efforts post-workout. Drinking 7 to 10 ounces of liquids every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise is the amount recommended by the American Council on Exercise.
Drink Mineral Water
Thirst can be quenched with plain drinking water. Still, mineral water helps rehydration because it is also a good source of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which address hydration needs.
Mix Electrolytes Into Your Water
With added electrolytes, the body hydrates more efficiently and can provide optimal hydration on a cellular level. The key electrolytes for rehydration include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and calcium.
Many of these can be found in energy drinks or tablets that dissolve in water. DIY drinks can be made by including a pinch of quality sea salt, a squeeze of lemon, as well as honey or maple syrup, pomegranate juice, or coconut water, which is comparable to sports drinks in terms of electrolytes as well as containing potassium and sodium chloride, both of which support muscle function.
Note that some widely used supplements like Creatine put even more stress on your body and require more hydration. That’s why I recommend taking a creatine supplement that has electrolytes in it, check out CRN-5 here.
Flavorful Ways to Rehydrate After a Workout
Aside from the above, there are more satisfying ways to rehydrate after a workout, including:
Whip Up a Smoothie
Many fruits and vegetables are sources of water and electrolytes, making it a flavorful post-workout drink. Good sources of electrolytes include nut butter, seeds, bananas, avocados, and leafy green vegetables.
Consume Water-Rich Foods
Water-rich foods can be included as a post-workout snack, especially fruits or vegetables with a water content of 80 percent or higher. Hydrating Foods for post-work-out include:
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Cucumbers
- Cantaloupes
- Celery
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
Drink Chocolate Milk
According to experts, one way to rehydrate after a workout is to sip in chocolate milk. With a three-to-one carb-to-protein ratio and 13 essential nutrients and electrolytes, chocolate milk is ideal for recovery and rehydration. Sip on 8 ounces of chocolate milk over and above water to rehydrate.
Simon Turner is a former Obstacle Workout features writer and writes regularly on sports, fitness and adventure for Probody.
