What are you drinking?

Everyone knows hydration is essential when it comes to working out. When I workout, I sweat (or at least I SHOULD be sweating if I'm doing my workout properly and busting my butt). So in order to replace the fluids my body is losing thru sweat, breathing, and - uh - using the bathroom, it's important to drink drink drink!

There are many questions that come to mind when looking for the proper way to stay hydrated. 

- What is the best source of hydration? 

H 2 the Izz-0! Since it makes up about 60% of our bodies, water is by far the best way to replace our lost fluids AND it gets the job done with ZERO calories (who doesn't love that?). There are other drinks out there that can aid in staying hydrated, but the majority of them contain sugar, sodium, carbs, and calories. Now I'm not saying those are bad, but if you're wanting to steer clear of those additives, water is your answer. Milk, tea, juice, coconut water (YUCK), coffee, and even most fruits and veggies will help you stay hydrated in some way. There are also many sport drinks out there that are known to help hydration and recovery. Personally, I try to stay away from sports drinks, such as Powerade and Gatorade, but if they work for you, hey...it's better than not drinking anything at all! There is research out there that proves that sports drinks like these will enhance performance significantly more than plain water when you're doing a high-intensity, long-duration work out. 

- How much do I need to drink? 

The answer to this question varies depending on your age, gender, climate, and activity level. We get about 20% of our daily fluid needs from our food. Taking that into account, an adult male should drink about 13 cups (3 liters) of fluid daily, and an adult woman should drink about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of fluid daily. These numbers are to get through a normal day. If you're working out, bump that up to an additional 6-8 ounces (about 1 cup) for every 15-20 minutes you workout (Source).

- Should I drink before, during, or after my workout? 

All of the above. You should have 8-16 ounces of fluid starting 2 hours before you workout and another 4-8 ounces right before you start. I have always found it difficult to drink water while running. Of course, I would LOVE to have a drink in the middle of my run, but I never want to carry anything in my hands while running or stop and slow down for a mid-run drink. Since my runs are usually only about 3-4 miles a day, I can get away with it. But if you're running or working out longer than an hour, you should try to have another 4-6 ounces every 20 minutes. Post-workout hydration is a must! You should drink 20-24 oz. for every pound of water (sweat) you lost during that time (Source).

- What effects can dehydration have on my body?

Nausea, diarrhea, weakness, cramping, dry mouth, lightheadedness...the list goes on and on. Don't let it happen to you, because it's not pleasant!

My friend Stacie purchased this neat water bottle that is SMART. It calculates your needs and tracks your liquid intake to make sure your hydration goals are met. It seems like a great motivational tool and mine is in the mail!

01/17/2013: Miles run - 40 of 1000. Miles remaining - 960 of 1000