Article contributed by Ambriale Davis
When doing physical activity, do you often experience quick fatigue, dizziness, weakness, thirst, flushed skin, increased body temperature, or shortness of breath? These are tell-tale signs of possible dehydration.1 These signs can be resolved by minimizing dehydration through proper water intake before, during, and after exercise. The amount of water needed varies between individuals based on gender, age, height, exercise environment, type of exercise, and intensity of exercise. Greatist and CamelBak2 teamed up to produce general guidelines for water intake based on exercise: 17 to 20 oz. of water 2-3 hours prior to physical activity, 8 oz. 20 to 30 minutes before exercising, 7 to 10 oz. every 10-20 minutes during exercise, and 8 oz. of water within 30 minutes after exercising. A healthy body weight is 65% water, and 75% of our muscles is water.3 Maintaining optimal levels of water in your body assists in digestion, regulating internal body temperature, and protecting vital organs.3 You can track your hydration or determine how much water you should intake by using CamelBak’s Hydration Calculator. Using this calculator, in combination with monitoring urine color, levels of perspiration, and blood circulation you can tell if you are sufficiently hydrated for your level of activity.4 Below is a graphic further detailing the amount of water intake based on the average American male and female:3
- https://www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/hydrate-right/hydrate-right
- https://lifehacker.com/how-much-water-you-should-drink-before-during-and-aft-1520633778
- http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Mhealthy/TheImportanceofWaterWhileExercising.pdf
- http://www.healthydietbase.com/signs-that-you-are-well-hydrated/