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The Importance of Drinking Water During and After Exercise

Did you know, right after exercising, most of the weight you lose directly is from water loss, and not from fat. Whether you exercise to lose weight, to stay healthy or whether you are an athlete, staying hydrated is especially important for those practicing energy-intensive sports. Your body significantly heats up in the process of exercising, and in order to cool down, the body releases water in the form of sweat. This can significantly deplete the body of its hydration. Drinking water would help your body restore the much-needed hydration as well as providing various other health benefits to those seeking to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

 

1. Your body lose water during exercise

As you work out, your body burns a tremendous amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat, turning them into energy. This process causes the body to heat up and causes your heart to beat faster, as well as recognizably heat up from the activities. During this process, plenty of water are lost in sweating and perspiration or breathing.

 

2. Why do I need water during and after exercising?

Since water makes up 75 percent of your overall muscle tissues, proper hydration is required to support those tissues. In other words, water helps your body achieve its peak physical performance. In the case of dehydration, your performance can severely be impacted and it can cause other problems such as muscle cramps. Given that the joint is also primarily composed of water, dehydration can also cause joint pain.

 

3. How much water should I drink during and after exercising?

The amount of water you should drink depends on the activities, type of sport and the amount of sweat you lose. However, as a general rule of thumb, the American Council on exercise recommends an intake of approximately 200-300mL or 7 to 10 ounces of water every 20 minutes during your workout session. That’s approximately a glass of water every 20 minutes!

You should also drink water after working out since that is when your body can take in water efficiently. It is also recommended to drink another cup of water 30 minutes after working out in order to restore and balance your body’s water supply.  

 

4. What you should avoid drinking while exercising

After you lose a lot of hydration, you would feel a heavy sensation of thirst. It is not recommended to drink sugary beverages after a workout because the thirstiness would prompt you into drinking more than you should. Sugary substances are high in calories and it can severely impact your body, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Although coffee or beverages containing caffeine are known for their performance boosting abilities, it should only be enjoyed before working out. Caffeine increases your body’s stress hormone, cortisol. Caffeine can also make you urinate more often, disrupt your diet, and cause further dehydration.

 

To conclude, whether you are exercising for a healthy lifestyle or practicing extreme sport, water should always be an essential part of your routine. As seen for their benefits, and how your body desperately needs water, it would be very convenient to always bring a bottle of water wherever you go. The next time you go out for a jog or to the gym, always remember, water is your best friend!

Amazing Ways Water Can Improve Your Health

Water is an essential part of life that makes up around 60% of the human body. Understanding the significance of water, there is a Slovakian proverb that says “pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine”. This cannot be any truer, as getting enough hydration is associated with a healthy lifestyle in the current society. In fact, the average Cambodian carries a bottle of water with them everywhere they go!

With that in mind, here are 6 amazing ways that drinking water can benefit your health:  

 

1. Maintain the body fluid:

Seeing how water makes up such a big proportion of the human body, drinking enough water plays an important role in maintaining the right balance of body fluid. Water is absorbed by our intestine and makes up the blood that comprises the circulatory system. It also formulates other biofluids such as saliva, mucus, sweat and more. In retrospect, water helps the organ, and the organ system performs its duty in sustaining the body. 

 

2. Regulate the body temperature 

Water acts as a thermoregulator, meaning that it helps the body maintain the right temperature, allowing each organ to conduct their function properly. Water has a role in dissipating heat as part of homeostasis. When the body is too hot, water helps reduce extreme heat through sweat and evaporation of sweat from the skin surface. This process produces a cooling effect and protects the body from overheating. 

 

3. Moisturize the skin

Our skin is considered to be the widest organ in the body. Its function is to protect the body from external pollutants, toxins and pathogens. Many studies have pointed out that drinking enough water would moisturize the skin and keep the skin healthy by flushing out harmful toxins and maintaining the right pH level. Seeing how water is so essential for the skin, it is no wonder that many claim that getting enough hydration also prevents wrinkles, reduces acne and helps the skin maintain its elasticity. 

 

4. Helps your body eliminate waste

Water does more than quench your thirst! The excretory system depends on water to function, since many forms of waste such as mucus, urine and sweat are liquid-based. As a matter of fact, drinking a lot of water is considered by many as a prime method for detox. With enough water inside your body, the excretory system will do their job in getting rid of toxins through urine, sweats and even perspiration! 

 

5. Protect your spinal cord and joints

Water makes up 80% of the cartilage that is located at your joint. Water helps lubricate the joint and provides the joint with its elasticity and resistance to shock. Without sufficient intake of water, the spinal cord and joints will become more vulnerable to shock. Moreover, severe dehydration can even lead to joint pain.

 

6. Deliver oxygen throughout the body

Blood is made up almost entirely of water. In the circulatory system, the heart pumps blood throughout the entire body. In this process, drinking water helps improve the blood circulation, where the red blood cells carry oxygen to the parts that need them. Additionally, warm water is extra beneficial for the blood circulation since it promotes the expansion of small capillaries. It also helps muscles relax and reduce pain! 

 

It is clear that drinking enough water does wonders for our body, whether it is to regulate our body temperature, eliminate waste, or deliver oxygen. The body can go up to 10-14 days without food, but it can only sustain itself for 3 days without water. Seeing this, it is clear that drinking 1.5-2 liters of clean water is absolutely mandatory for your body! Adapt a healthy lifestyle, always bring a bottle of water with you anywhere you go!