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Jan 31, 2018 · Using what we know about sipping water, it's possible to do a better job of staying hydrated while minimizing trips to the bathroom. Sipping water, rather than drinking a lot over a short period of time, seems to allow the body to efficiently process the water and hydrate, without the spike in urination we see with gulping water.
It contributes to gum disease and tooth decay. Tooth brushing stops plaque building up. Try to make sure you clean every surface of all your teeth. When should I brush my teeth? Brush your teeth for about 2 minutes last thing before you go to bed and on 1 other occasion every day.
Fluid restriction is needed if your body is holding water. This is called fluid retention (oedema). Fluid retention can range in severity and can cause health problems, such as tissue and blood vessel damage, long-term swelling, and stress on the heart if left untreated.
- Overview
- Water vs Sports Drinks
- Sports Drinks Can Benefit Athletes
- They Are Unnecessary for Most People
- Many Different Beverages Can Help You Stay Hydrated
- The Bottom Line
If you ever watch sports, you have probably seen athletes sipping on brightly colored beverages before, during or after a competition.
These sports drinks are a big part of athletics and big business around the globe.
Many people believe that these drinks are the magic elixir to improve exercise performance, even if you are not an athlete.
However, others will tell you that this is just marketing and you should stick with water.
Water makes up the majority of your body weight and is critical for your body’s proper functioning (1).
In addition to losing water through urine, sweat and feces, your body is continually losing water through your skin and the air you exhale (2).
To replace these losses and promote good health and exercise performance, it’s often recommended to drink fluids regularly throughout the day (3, 4).
Although needs can vary, the recommended daily fluid intake is 91 ounces (2.7 liters) for adult women and 125 ounces (3.7 liters) for adult men (5).
The main components of sports drinks — water, carbs and electrolytes — are each important for different aspects of exercise performance.
Water and electrolytes are lost in sweat, and it’s important to replace them, particularly during long-duration exercise (10).
Your body stores carbs in your muscles and liver called glycogen, which is used for fuel during exercise (11).
Consuming carbs before or during exercise can help slow down how quickly your body runs out of its own carbohydrate stores (10).
Sports drinks are designed to provide these three important ingredients with the goal of improving exercise performance or recovery (8).
Many studies have examined the effects of sports drinks on exercise performance, and much of this research has been conducted in athletes.
Type and Intensity of Exercise
First, consider your exercise habits, as well as the duration and intensity of your training. While sports drinks can benefit athletes who engage in long or intense training sessions, they are probably unnecessary for most gym-goers. If you perform light-to-moderate exercise, such as walking or jogging, for less than 1 hour, you probably do not need to use sports drinks. Similarly, if you only perform weight training, you probably do not need to use sports drinks, even if you spend over an hour at the gym. Much of your time may be resting between sets, and weight training does not reduce your body’s carbohydrate stores as much as endurance exercise does (14). If you do decide to use a sports drink, you should probably consume smaller amounts for exercise lasting less than an hour and no more than 30 grams of carbs for a session lasting 1–2 hours (10).
They May Affect Weight Loss
For those trying to maintain or lose weight, another important factor to consider is energy balance, or the balance between the number of calories you consume and burn. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories in a day than you consume. If sports drinks are unnecessary for the type of exercise you do, consuming them provides you with unnecessary calories that could hinder your weight loss goals. However, some research has shown that consuming sports drinks during exercises like running do not “undo” the calories used during exercise (16). For example, a 150-pound (68-kg) person may burn about 240 calories when jogging for 30 minutes (17). Consuming 12 fluid ounces (355 ml) of a common sports drink may provide about 20 grams of carbs and only 80 calories. However, it’s important to realize that some activities may not burn many calories, even if they feel difficult. For example, weight training may only burn around 120 calories in a 30-minute session if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg) (18). Think about whether the type and duration of the exercise you do requires a sports drink and be aware of how many calories you consume from these beverages. Summary Although sports drinks can improve the performance of athletes during several types of exercise, they are probably unnecessary for most people. If you choose to drink these beverages, it is important not to overconsume them.
Staying Hydrated
How much you sweat can vary based on many factors, including how long and intensely you exercise, your training level and your environment. The rate of sweating in humans may range from about 10 fluid ounces/hour (0.3 liters/hour) to 81 fluid ounces/hour (2.4 liters/hour) (19). What’s more, it’s recommended that athletes do not lose more than 2–3% of their body weight through sweat during exercise (10). However, it’s debated whether sports drinks are more effective than water at keeping you hydrated.
Other Options to Stay Hydrated
One study compared 13 different beverages, including sports drinks and water, to see how well they hydrated the body (20). Researchers provided 33.8 fluid ounces (1 liter) of each of these drinks and collected urine over the next several hours. They found that milk, orange juice and an oral rehydration solution provided the highest amount of hydration. Oral rehydration solutions are specifically designed to cause fluid retention and contain higher levels of sodium and potassium than a normal sports drink. An interesting finding from this study was that there was no difference in the hydrating ability of water, sports drinks, tea and cola. In fact, some beverages that are typically considered to be dehydrating, such as coffee and beer, hydrated the body about as much as water. In fact, other research has indicated that coffee can help keep you hydrated, contrary to popular belief (21). It’s important to note that most drinks can contribute to your daily fluid requirements and help keep you hydrated. This doesn’t mean that you should drink cola or beer during exercise, but it demonstrates that a wide variety of beverages can provide hydration throughout the day.
Enjoying Your Drink
Another factor to consider is that your enjoyment of certain beverages could affect how much you drink. Research has shown that the flavor of sports drinks causes athletes to drink more than if they were consuming water alone (22, 23). As a result, drinks that taste better may be beneficial for increasing fluid consumption in those possibly at risk of dehydration. Summary While sports drinks may help keep you hydrated, many other beverages can too. Water and sports drinks provide a similar amount of hydration, although the flavor of sports drinks may cause some individuals to drink more.
Sports drinks are very popular among athletes and recreational exercisers, but it’s debated whether they’re any better than plain water.
The main components of sports drinks are water, carbs and electrolytes.
Research supports their benefits in athletes and those performing long or intense exercise. The recommended amount varies based on the type of exercise.
However, most active individuals in the general population do not exercise intensely enough or long enough to need sports drinks.
Additionally, many beverages can hydrate your body just as effectively as sports drinks, including plain water.
If you choose to use sports drinks, be aware of their calorie contents.
Daily fluid intake. Most people should aim to drink enough during the day so their pee is a clear pale yellow colour. The Eatwell Guide recommends that people should aim to drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count. You may need to drink more fluids if you're:
Sep 22, 2022 · Do you really need to drink eight glasses of water a day? Can drinking water help you lose weight? Does coffee dehydrate you? Experts explain the science of hydration.
Oct 2, 2019 · Although that's not a bad assumption, there is actually something you should be drinking that will hydrate you faster and keep you hydrated longer than water does. When it comes to hydration, the natural sugars in milk, combined with its protein and fat content, help the body retain water.
