Daily hydration is essential, and even more so during physical activity—whether you practice a soft or intense sport, indoors or outdoors, over a short or prolonged period of time.But why is it so important to stay hydrated? What are the risks of dehydration and how should you stay well hydrated? Find out all about it in these tips.Let's go!
Water is essential for the proper functioning of the human body. Indeed, our body is made up or 60% water and water plays a multilevel role in ensuring the body works properly:
Water transports nutrients to cells and is involved in numerous chemical reactions needed for exercise.
Water has a role in thermoregulation: it stabilises body temperature and thus prevents heat stroke. While 20 to 25% of energy produced by muscles during exercise is used for movement, 75 to 80% is used to generate heat! It is essential for the body to remove this heat to prevent a rise in body temperature that could be harmful to health and impair performance. Sweating allows the body to reduce this heat.
Water helps to eliminate waste: in urine and through sweat.
Our body has daily water requirements that must be met by drinking at least 1.5 litres of water a day. During physical activity, water losses increase and must be offset by drinking before, during and after exercise.This prevents dehydration which has a direct impact on health and sports performance.
When you do intense and/or prolonged physical activity, you sweat and risk dehydration.The body loses an average of 1.5 litres of sweat an hour and this can go up to 3 - 4 litres per hour or more if it's hot, even more if it's hot and humid! Then, there is a real risk of dehydration, which can not only impair your performance but also cause injury. On average, it is estimated that a person who loses 1% of their weight loses 10% of their physical capacity and a person who loses 2% of their weight loses 20% of their physical capacity. The conclusion is clear.
It is therefore essential to provide your body with a regular water intake without waiting to feel thirsty first. The feeling of thirst arrives too late and if you wait, by the time water gets into the blood, you will already be in a state of dehydration. Hence the importance of drinking regularly throughout the day, before and during exercise.
To begin with, have a good drink before your session and then drink regularly while you train, taking small sips at a time.
- If you are exercising for less than 1 hour, water alone will suffice.
- If the workout lasts 1 hour and is low-intensity: as well as staying hydrated, you can compensate for salt and mineral losses by choosing electrolytes. If the workout is intense, opt for an ISO isotonic drink that will compensate for salt and mineral losses and provide you with carbohydrates to fuel your body.
To properly understand the difference between isotonic drinks and electrolytes:
- If you practise a physical activity for over 1 hour, we recommend the ISO isotonic drink.
- If the workout exceeds 3 hours, the ISO + drink is recommended because it is specially designed for long workouts.
Finally, there are recovery drinks if you are doing a series of prolonged, intense workouts. They contain everything you need in a single product: water to rehydrate, carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves and proteins to promote muscle repair.
Now you know why it is so important to stay hydrated on a daily basis and during exercise. You have all the information you need on how to compensate for water loss based on the type of activity you are practising and prevent dehydration, which could harm your health and your performance.
As a sport enthusiast, I did dancing for a long time before discovering triathlon, which became a real addiction right from my first race! I am a fan of Sprint and Olympic distances, and I like the variety that this sport offers both in terms of its practice and the environment in which I can grow. Triathlons offer interesting challenges to look forward to with pleasure as the key!