What is Proper Hydration?
As I’ve written before many times, there is no shortage of mythology surrounding everything related to health and fitness. Everything from how to lift weights, to how much protein you need to ingest in order to build bigger muscles. Caloric requirements are spelled out all across the internet, and Youtube is alive with the sounds of “personal trainers” extolling the virtues of their latest, and greatest workout. Real science, thankfully for us, manages to trump the bro science propagators, and the sweeping statements are can be taken with a grain of salt, such as 8, 8 ounce glasses of water is what we all need to achieve proper hydration. Hydration, like carbohydrates and fats, is a hugely divisive subject amongst trainers, and nutritionists alike.
Proper hydration, just like proper nutrition, is a very individual thing. As a personal trainer in Austin for more than 20 years now, I can assure you that many factors need to be considered before we can decisively state what amount of water a person needs to consume every day to achieve proper hydration. For example, are they in an arid environment, such as the desert? Perhaps Colorado, which is very arid, and quite a bit above sea level in a good many places? Is the person in question in a warm climate, such as Mississippi or Florida in August? What about their level of activity? How much sodium are they consuming? How much alcohol do they drink? You can keep the questions coming for a long time, and you would need to, if you truly want to know how that person can achieve a proper hydration level.
One thing, we can say for certain, across the board, is that if you are sweating, you need to replenish fluids. If you are engaged in a physical activity and are breathing hard, no matter the climate or the temperature, you are losing hydration with each and every breath. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you have missed the boat and are already at some level of dehydration. If you make it a point to keep water with you throughout your workday, your commute, on walks, on bicycle rides, etc, and actually consume it bit by bit as opposed to simply toting it, you’ll find yourself feeling better, as you will more than likely have achieved the level of proper hydration. How do you know if you are properly hydrated? Look inside the toilet bowl next time you urinate. If you urine is yellow, or brownish, you are dehydrated. It should be a clear color with a trace of yellow at the most. Obviously, when you wake up in the morning, your urine won’t be the proper color, but by the time you take your second or third bathroom break, you should be up to speed.
There’s a few strategies one can incorporate in an effort to keep a consistent level of proper hydration. One such strategy, as sated previously, is to carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. If that’s not working for you, one strategy a client of mine cleverly came up with, was whenever she went to the water cooler at the office, she drank a full cup of water, before refilling the cup she would take back to her desk. This made an enormous difference in her hydration levels, and she almost immediately could feel a difference in how she felt. Whatever strategy you implement, do it consistently, and if you dry yourself out through alcohol consumption, salty foods, exercise, the heat, etc, take in that much more in order to offset the accelerated loss.
Ready to Get Started?
Andy
Latest posts by Andy (see all)
- Workout Motivation: How To Get Motivated To Work Out - March 9, 2022
- Body Fat Types: Subcutaneous and Visceral Fats - June 1, 2019
- Why Diets Work If You Stick With Them - April 1, 2019
