The weather is getting hotter and hotter. When exercising in a high temperature environment, pay attention to hydrating. However, there are many particulars about how to drink water before and after exercise. According to experts from the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Education Institute, if you understand that exercise hydration is to drink plenty of water before and after exercise, it is far from enough. The correct exercise hydration should include what to drink, how much to drink, and when to drink.
Let me first talk about why you get thirsty after exercise. During our exercise, muscles contract and protein synthesis increases. Through sweating and breathing, metabolites in the body are excreted. When sweating, both water and salt are lost. Too much water and less salt are lost, which is called hypertonic dehydration. At this time, there is a lack of salt and water in the body, and people will feel thirsty.
When there is less salt and more water in the body, it will cause hypotonic dehydration. The symptom of hypotonic dehydration is sweating a lot, but the more you drink, the more thirsty you get. At this time, you should not simply supplement water but rather supplement salt in an appropriate amount. Simply replenishing water can lead to serious consequences such as loss of consciousness and even sudden death.
So, how to replenish water scientifically? The trick is to “small and many times.” We can:
Add 500ml of water 2 hours before exercise, and then add about 300ml of water in 2 to 3 times in the first 15 minutes;
Replenish it every 15-20 minutes during exercise, add 50-100ml of water at a time, and drink it in 5-6 times;
Replenish 800-1000 ml of water after exercise, and drink it in a “small amount and many times” method.
