We all know that to quench thirst it is necessary to drink liquids. We are going through a heat wave throughout the country that sets us on the sofa and makes us not leave the house. We tell you how to hydrate properly so you can exercise without problem, take note!

What is hydration? exactly “is the process by which water is added to a specific concept, in living beings, it is a functional aspect for the maintenance of your organism”. The amount of fluid in the human body is between 40 and 60% of the total , distributed throughout the body: brain, bones, muscles … Women have a lower water charity with respect to men, since they have more average of fat. And children start with 75% of fluid that goes down during the first 10 years of life.

The importance of being hydrated

We already told you some tricks to drink water long ago , and now we get a little more in depth on why is it important to have the body hydrated ?, There are many factors:

• Maintain overall health and active metabolism
• So that the vital functions of the organism work correctly
• Improve blood circulation
• Provide the body with essential minerals and trace elements for life
• Do not suffer from dehydration or heat stroke
• Eliminate waste and maintain body temperature
• Elimination of toxins and help maintain a healthy weight

If you wonder how much water you have to drink, forget about that general gift of 1.5 liters a day, because it depends on each person, some will need more and others less. The groups most affected by the loss of fluids , and therefore, need to drink more are: athletes, pregnant women, children, the elderly and infants.

When do you have to drink water?

For those of you who are athletes, we will distribute the water consumption during the day in the following way:

• Before the exercise : at least 1 or 2 hours. Its function will be thermoregulatory of body temperature, thus decreasing the sensation of effort in the routine avoiding the increase of body temperature at the beginning. It is what is called Pre-hydration .
• During the exercise : it is important to replenish the fluids that are lost during practice and maintain blood glucose levels. It is better if you drink small continuous sips than a lot of blow, so you will avoid in uncomfortable flatus. It is what is properly called hydration .
• After the exercise : It facilitates the post training recovery process. This is where you should drink according to your body demand, do not abuse because what the body does not need will expel it. We call this process Re-hydration.

For the normal sedentary population, water consumption has to be constant throughout the day . Keep in mind that we always talk about water or these other products that we told you a few days ago, we do not include soft drinks or sugary drinks, beers, juices or any other beverage that contains preservatives or sugars.

If you want a more fun option and without much flavor, I present a new productthat you can buy in sports nutrition stores or websites , Bolero .

This product is nothing other than flavoring water . It has no preservatives, no gluten, no sugars, it is low in calories and carbohydrates. There are 42 different flavors: pear, mango, apple, orange, cherry, lime … you only have to mix one for each 400ml of water and better if it is cool … What flavor do you choose?

What happens to your body with dehydration

As you have already seen, being hydrated is more important than you think and much easier than you think, because dehydration has its effects and are very serious:

• Reduction of urine output ( diuresis )
• Intense thirst and dry mouth
• Muscle cramps due to lack of electrolytes
• Tachycardia because the body does not recover lost fluid
• Accelerated breathing
• Stun and confusion
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches, dizziness .
• Irritability and confusion
• Stomach problems

I leave you a curious fact, there is a false myth that water is fattening and thinning, both are false. The water has 0 kcal , but it is true that drinking water before meals fills you some hunger and help you eat less if you are in weight loss period. In addition, drinking cold water helps you burn calories , but not because the water is thinning, but because the body needs to expend energy to equalize the temperature of the water and the body, which produces an expense of approximately 17 kcal .

Even so, if you want to avoid dehydration and you want to go out and practice sports, follow these tips:

• Avoid central hours of the day to exercise, the best is early in the morning. At night always defend the temperature and you will notice a light breeze that helps you train. In addition, you start the day in a different and more active way.
• Stand in each fountain to drink water or you can take a backpack with hydration bag to go drinking on the fly.
• Wear clothes that breathe and avoid a major dehydration. Do not forget your cap and sunglasses.
• Even so, do not play it, and look for training options on indoor sites , be it your home , the neighborhood gym or the pool . There are many options for these hot days, that the heat wave does not stop you!