Rehydration
Why rehydration is important for recovery:
- The loss of body water and electrolytes during exercise affects the body's ability to effectively dissipate heat and regulate body temperature (5).
- Baseline hydration: The daily adequate intake values for water are 3.7 liters for males and 2.7 liters for females (5). These numbers are increased for active individuals due to water loss during exercise.
General guidelines to follow:
- Generally drinking in accordance to thirst to return the body to normal hydration levels will be adequate. Additionally, the color of your urine is a good indicator of hydration, ideally being a pale yellow or close to clear.
- Consume adequate carbohydrates and electrolytes with hydration. Fruit juices and sports drinks are good for providing both of these things. Salty snacks such as pretzels could also be good for providing both of these things. This combination has been shown to enhance fluid retention following exercise induced dehydration. This could also help delay onset of fatigue in subsequent prolonged exercise.
- If recovery time of at least 24 hours permits, normal meal and water intake should be sufficient to restore hydration so long as sodium intake is adequate.
- Aim to drink 1.5 liters of fluid for every kg of body weight loss (this weight loss can be calculated by weighing yourself before and after your exercise (without clothes)). You will need more than the amount lost to account for increased urine loss.
- Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol, especially more than one drink, can delay the recovery process, as measured by restoration of blood and plasma volume (5).
- You want to generally be shooting to urine every 2-4 hours on a daily basis.
More about electrolytes:
The most important electrolytes to think about for sports nutrition include sodium, chloride and potassium.
For many individuals, the body does a good job replacing electrolytes as long as hydration levels are good in combination with a balanced diet. The most common electrolyte that does need to be replaced after extensive exercise and sweating is sodium. This can be done by adding moderate amounts of salt to the foods already being consumed. This additionally helps with fluid retention.
*Rehydration should be more rapid if a subsequent exercise is scheduled for later that day or the next day.
The most important electrolytes to think about for sports nutrition include sodium, chloride and potassium.
- Sodium: sodium is the principal electrolyte in cells extracellular fluid. It primarily helps maintain normal body-fluid balance and osmotic pressure (5). It is essential for control of normal blood pressure due to its effect on blood volume. Sodium is additionally used for nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction, things that are very important for exercising.
- Chloride: chloride works with sodium to regulate body water balance and electrical potentials across cell membranes. It additionally help form HCL in stomach acid, which is necessary for digestion processes.
- Potassium: potassium works with sodium and chloride in maintaining body fluids and generating electrical impulses in nerves and muscles (including the heart). Potassium also plays an important role in energy processes in muscles. It brings glucose into muscle cells, glycogen storage, and helps with the production of high-energy compounds for rest of the body(5).
For many individuals, the body does a good job replacing electrolytes as long as hydration levels are good in combination with a balanced diet. The most common electrolyte that does need to be replaced after extensive exercise and sweating is sodium. This can be done by adding moderate amounts of salt to the foods already being consumed. This additionally helps with fluid retention.
*Rehydration should be more rapid if a subsequent exercise is scheduled for later that day or the next day.