Having enough to drink when exercising is important, we all know that. But why? What's so important about drinking during exercise? And what is the best thing to drink, water or energy drinks?
When you exercise, you lose large quantities of fluids through sweating. Therefore, it is very important to have enough to drink when exercising to replenish the fluids you lose. Otherwise, you run the risk of dehydration. Your sporting performance also deteriorates if the fluid balance in your body is not optimal. So make sure you drink enough at the right time! By the time you feel thirsty, it's actually too late. By then dehydration has already started and your sports performance will already have deteriorated to some extent.
How do you maintain your fluid balance during exercise?
Make sure you drink enough before you start exercising. For example, by drinking 500 ml of water 2 to 3 hours before your workout. And make sure you always have a bottle of water or sports drink like Yanga Sportswater to hand to drink from during your workout. You need 500 ml to 1 litre of fluid per hour when exercising. Of course, it's good to drink again after exercising to restore your fluid balance. It is possible, however, to drink too much water while exercising. Are you drinking more than three litres of water an hour? In that case, there is the risk of water poisoning. And of course you don't want that! Keep it balanced...
Is it best to drink water or a sports drink?
Whether drinking water or sports drinks is better for you depends on how long your sporting activities last. If you do sport for less than 1.5 hours at a time, water or Yanga sports water (that bit more flavoursome!) is sufficient.
However, if you work out for longer than 1.5 hours at a time, then it's important to maintain your energy balance. A sports drink can help with this.
