How Much Water Do You Actually Need?

Do you know about all the crazy things that can happen to you if you don’t drink water when you exercise? Lots of crazy things. Many people show up at the gym without a bottle of water, and worse, some people show up for high-intensity spinning classes without water, thinking they’ll actually make it through 60 minutes of sweating without needing so much as a sip.
What could happen to these people?

• You could pass out from dehydration, which means that you’ll be known as “the person who passed out and needed an ambulance that one day” at the gym. LABELS ARE FOREVER.
• You won’t have the energy you need to sustain yourself through your workout, or to work out at the best energy level you can. In other words, your workout may become a waste of your time.
• You open yourself up to a number of ailments; I knew a woman who had a virus in her body that spread to her muscles and began eating them – simply because she doesn’t drink water during her workouts. (The woman is fine – the problem was caught quickly, but it could have been devastating if she hadn’t been encouraged to visit the ER). The virus wasn’t caused by not drinking water, but it was allowed to spread faster because she didn’t hydrate.

The standard rule of thumb is one ounce of water for every minute you work out. So, a 60-minute session means 60 ounces of water. But that’s just during your workout on a perfectly average day. There’s more to it than that:

• Is it hot out? Drink a little more.
• You really should drink (WATER) and be well-hydrated before you start working out.
• Are you thirsty already? You waited too long. Get drinking.
• Are you not thirsty? Congratulations, you’re well-hydrated! But, you know, drink anyway.
• Just because your workout is over doesn’t mean your drinking is. Continue to have a few glasses in the hours after your session, especially if it was a grueling one.
• Don’t drink too much, though – having too much water sloshing around in your belly can lead to cramps and nausea.
• Gulp, don’t sip.
• If you’re not training for an Ironman (or just acting like you are), you really don’t need energy drinks (or bars, for that matter). Water works just great, and it's cheaper. Save your money.

Glug, glug, glug.