Did you know water loss of 1% of your body weight can lead to the onset of dehydration? Once you lose 10%, it becomes life-threatening.

Therefore, learning how to rehydrate after intensive exercise is essential. Usually, the more intense the exercise, the more fluid you lose.

It’s not as simple as drinking enough water. You need to know when and how to drink the water to rehydrate efficiently and maximize your energy to work out.

You may also have some questions: whether to take electrolytes, how much to drink, e.t.c.

If so, read on to find out how to rehydrate properly according to experts. This is your source of proven rehydration tips and general rehydration advice.

How to Rehydrate Pre-Workout

Entering your workout by being underhydrated by just 2-3% can decrease your strength by 2%. Therefore, it’s crucial that you start your workout already well-hydrated.

Gulping a liter of water just before you start pumping iron won’t cut it. Rehydration does not start until the water has circulated through your system. To ensure you are hydrated throughout the day, you might want to take sips of water every hour.

How do you know you’re going in well-hydrated?

Check the color of your urine. If it is a light yellow or clear, you’re good to go.

Hydrating Properly During a Workout

These are some general rehydration tips for during your workout.

If you’re about to perform a high-intensity exercise like a sprint, you don’t want to be gulping large amounts of water right before. That’s how you would end up with acid reflux and cramps.

It’s best to take scheduled breaks and tiny sips to keep up your hydration levels.

That goes for many forms of exercise in general; take small sips, and keep taking them throughout. You want to aim for a cup every 20-30 minutes.

By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated and your body is trying to tell you that. You’ll already be seeing a drop in performance. To maintain performance, your best bet is to start hydrated and stay hydrated.

Remember that the more you sweat, the more diligent you have to be about replenishing water every few intervals. Make that a habit to maintain peak performance.

How to Rehydrate Fast

Hydration is not all about drinking water. The essential electrolytes have to

be in balance as well so your body can retain the fluid and put it to use.

When you sweat, not only do you lose water, but also electrolytes like sodium through your sweat.

If you find yourself having trouble retaining fluid even though you drink tons of water, your electrolytes could be insufficient. In that case, you can try taking salt tablets to up your electrolytes. You can learn more here.

If you find yourself doing high-intensity workouts and sweating a lot, you may need to consume something like Gatorade or Pedialyte directly after to replenish the lost electrolytes. This will aid rehydration immensely.

More Exercise Tips

A lot of the time, exercise is about optimization. Learning how to rehydrate and keep hydrated is critical for all forms of exercise.

Keep up to date by checking out the other articles in our fitness and exercise section!