[lightbox link=”https://www.fitnpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4549450_s.jpg” thumb=”https://www.fitnpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4549450_s-300×200.jpg” width=”300″ align=”none” title=”4549450_s” frame=”true” icon=”image”]1.  Prevent dehydration early in the event by drinking adequate fluids before you get thirsty!  By the time you feel thirsty, you will have lost 1% of your body weight (1.5 lb. or 24 oz sweat for a 150-lb person).  Your heart will need to beat 3 to 5 times more per minute.

2.  Ideally, you will have learned your sweat rate and can drink to match your sweat losses.  That is, if you lose 1.5 lbs (24 oz) per hour, you should target 8 ounces of water, sport drink or diluted juice every 20 minutes.

Water vs. Sports Drinks

For the casual exerciser, water is always the appropriate.  Water is convenient, familiar, and satisfies your body’s needs.  For highly competitive athletes who exercise intensely for an hour, and for endurance athletes who expend large amount so energy for more than hour, a sports drink during exercise optimizes fluid retention, delays dehydration, and enhances endurance.  The beverage should offer 50 to 8- calories per 8 ounces Plus 110 to 170 mg sodium.  Be sure to experiment during training to learn which flavors of sports drinks settles best in your stomach.

By Nancy Clark M.S. R.D.