HYDRATION AND NUTRITION FOR EXERCISE

There has been so much wrote about this subject, more so even than most other subjects to do with running and general exercise. So the aim of this info sheet is to keep it simple and use common sense.

Even if we forget about exercise and how much we need to be hydrated then, and look at everyday life, most of us are inadequately hydrated ~ permanently!!!

This won’t stop us functioning during our everyday life and even when we exercise, BUT, it will hamper us, especially during our training. You will fatigue earlier, and will not get a quality workout.

Put quite simply, most of us need to drink more, remember we are around 75% water, so we therefore need it for our body to work efficiently, on average we need to take on around a litre and a half of water per day. And when we exercise this should be increased.

Try to stay away from tea and especially coffee, these drinks will actually work to dehydrate you, this also includes drinks such as cola and any other fizzy drinks (these drinks are diuretic & actually cause you to lose liquid more quickly).

Drinking 2–3 glasses of water in the hour leading up to a workout or run etc, will promote full hydration, during exercise you should be constantly taking on board water (remember to sip and not gulp it down). Certainly you will need to take on board water 30mins into a workout.

For obvious reasons, the more you move your body the more uncomfortable your body will feel if you drink too much water. Drinking water to to help recover after exercise should also be done.

A healthy diet will contain all the nutrients you need, 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% essential fats. Of course in this day and age, this can be very hard to do, so whether you are aiming to lose weight, gain weight or compete in a race, you should compliment your diet with certain food supplements.

Sports Drinks:

For most people they really aren’t needed, however they will help to promote you to your goals better.