Why is Proper Hydration so important when exercising?
If you're a hardcore athlete or weekend runner, proper hydration is incredibly important. Water and proper hydration are crucial elements of good exercise habits, without it your body simply wouldn't be able to handle the stress that exercise puts it through!
Why is water so important?
Water is amazing at regulating an athletes core body temperature, keeps joints lubricated and flexible and helps to move important nutrients throughout your body. Without it, athletes would suffer from dehydration, fatigue, cramps, fainting and could do long-term damage to the body.
How do I know if I'm properly hydrating?
There are a few ways to know if your body is properly hydrated. The easiest is to pay attention to the color of your urine - the closer it looks to pure, clean water, the more hydrated your body is. Darker urine, whether a strong yellow or deep amber, is your body's way of letting you know that you need to drink more water!
How much water should I be drinking?
Though the amount of water needed depends on several factors - how much the athlete weighs, how often they exercise, how long they exercise for and outside temperature - a good baseline for proper hydration is eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day. This can increase depending on the athletes body weight and duration of exercise, but it's crucial that you drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day.
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