AT ELITE MIAMI PERSONAL TRAINING, WE WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HYDRATING? STAYING HYDRATED IS A CONSTANT CONCERN IN MIAMI BECAUSE THE WEATHER IS HOT AND HUMID YEAR ROUND.
TAKE THIS SIMPLE TEST TO DETERMINE YOUR HYDRATION I.Q. AND GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR WATER INTAKE! ANSWER QUESTIONS AND GIVE YOURSELF A POINT FOR EACH CORRECT ONE.
1. IF I’M NOT PROPERLY HYDRATED, MY PERFORMANCE WILL SUFFER.
TRUE! Simply by being dehydrated, you could have a bad game or race.
2. TO STAY HYDRATED OVER THE COURSE OF A LONG RACE OR GAME (OVER AN HOUR), WATER IS ALL I NEED.
FALSE! If you’re training for over an hour, you also need to replace the electrolytes that you’re losing in sweat. Look for a sports drink that supplies sodium, potassium and chloride.
3. DRINKING FLUIDS WITH ELECTROLYTES DURING A GAME OR RACE WILL HELP ME DEAL BETTER WITH HOT, HUMID TEMPERATURES.
TRUE! As your body works to cool off during hot and humid workouts, you naturally sweat more and lose a lot of fluid. And, in these environments, your body has a tough time regulating its temperature. An electrolyte drink can help you avoid performance-crippling dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
4. IF A BEVERAGE HAS CAFFEINE, IT WILL CAUSE DEHYDRATION.
FALSE! Caffeinated beverages still contribute to your overall hydration status. Caffeine is a diuretic (it makes you pee more), but studies have shown that moderate intake doesn’t cause dehydration. Plus, exercise blunts the diuretic effect of caffeine.
5. IF I’M HAVING A GOOD RACE & LOOKING AT ACHIEVING A PB, I DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT FLUID.
FALSE! If you’re having a great race, don’t blow it by avoiding fluid and risking your performance due to dehydration.
6. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER.
FALSE! If you are sweating a lot during exercise and only replenishing your body with water (and not necessary electrolytes), you could suffer from hyponatremia—a condition that can be life threatening. Protect yourself against water overconsumption by drinking to your thirst and choosing an electrolyte-containing beverage if you’re exercising for over an hour and sweating a lot.
7. I SHOULD DRINK EVERY 15 MINUTES DURING EXERCISE.
TRUE! 1⁄2 -1 cup (4 to 8 oz.) of fluid every 15 minutes works well when exercising in the heat.
8. TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH TO DRINK DURING EXERCISE, I CAN WEIGH MYSELF BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT TO SEE HOW MUCH WEIGHT I LOSE IN FLUID.
TRUE! You can estimate your fluid needs by keeping track of how much fluid you drink in addition to how much you lose during a normal bout of exercise. To do this, weigh yourself before you exercise. Time your workout for an hour and keep track of the amount of fluid you consume. By weighing yourself after you exercise, you can determine how much fluid you lost. This amount can be used to estimate how much fluid you need. For example: before workout weight = 150 lb. During an hour of exercise, 16 oz. of fluid is consumed. After the workout, body weight is 149.5 lb. Considering that 16 oz. (1 lb.) and 1⁄2 lb. (8 oz.) was lost, 24 oz. is required over the course of an hour to maintain proper hydration status.
9. THE AMOUNT OF FLUID I DRINK AFTER A WORKOUT DOESN’T MATTER.
FALSE. For full recovery, consume 16 – 24 oz. of fluid for every pound lost after workout.
10. IT’S TOO HARD TO FIGURE OUT IF I’M DEHYDRATED.
FALSE! If you’re hydrated, the color of your urine should be very light, and you should be visiting the bathroom on a regular basis. If your urine is dark yellow, it’s time to focus on your fluid intake!
Your I.Q. Score:
If you scored 8-10 points, you’re a hydrated genius!
If you scored 5-7 points, you’re average and could use a lesson from an Elite Miami Personal Trainer.
If you scored below 5, make an appointment with Elite Miami Personal Training at (305) 859-2345 or email us at dubailfitness@EliteMiamiPersonalTraining.com.