How To Hydrate Your Workouts The Right Way

It’s vital to replace fluids lost during intense workouts if you want to hit your fitness goals. Here’s how to do it right so you’re always excelling.

Pre-workout: Coffee

Downing a cup of joe before your workout not only inflates your body’s performance, it will also help you burn 15% more calories for three hours post exercise, according to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise.

Intra-workout: Sports Drink

There are plenty of energy drinks on the market that are endorsed by world-renowned sports stars, and scientists at Loughborough University suggest a properly formulated sports drink has a valuable role to play in athletes’ diets

Post workout: Coconut Water

This is widely consumed across the globe but its unique chemical compounds and electrolytes make it a great rehydrating drink, according to the American Chemical Society. It has five times more potassium than Gatorade and Powerade, minus the nasty sugars and sweeteners.

Before bed: Milk

Guzzle the white stuff before bed because its natural balance of sodium, carbs and protein helps the body retain fluid, which is ideal for when you’re snoring after a tough workout, according to the journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism.

Drink the right amount

You can lose 6-10% bodyweight in sweat loss during an intense workout. Replenish your body using this equation:

½ your bodyweight in ounces + 1.5 x the amount of diuretic (in ounces of water).

So if you weigh 180lb, drink 90oz of water per day. If you also drink two 8oz coffees daily, add 24oz water (2 x 8oz = 16oz x 1.5 = 24oz), bringing your total to 114oz.

Find health tips and more in every issue of TRAIN for HER magazine.