SportyMon: Water

My Spring Green Nalgene

I'd forgotten how good I feel when properly hydrated. Now that I'm that I'm doing the 8-week fitness challenge, I can't live in denial. When I went for my pre-challenge assessment, I scored a -.95. The director told me to go home and drink some water. And, I did.

I'm now trying to drink at least 96 ounces a day and 128 a day when I run.

How much water do I need?
I'd always read 64 ounces a day, which never made sense to me because people are so different. Then, I came across this formula that takes into account weight.
1. Your weight x .5= ounces of water you should drink a day.
Ex. A person weighing 150 lbs. should drink 75 ounces of water a day.

2. When you workout, you should drink at least 20 ounces more per hour of exercise. If possible it's good to drink 7-10 ounces 30 minutes before working out and 10 ounces afterwards. My personal trainer textbook suggests drinking a low calorie sports drink instead of straight water. I prefer just water.

3. If you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, you'll need to add water to balance the diuretic effect of coffee and soda.

Equipment:

Water bottle.
I find the more convenient something is the more likely I am to do it. So, I bought a wide-mouthed Nalgene bottle. It cost $10, is dishwasher safe, doesn't leak, and made in the USA. However, it is plastic, but not your normal plastic.

Challenge:

1. Using the bathroom more.

This is the reason I stopped drinking water. I couldn't use the bathroom when I taught. Well, before and after school. So, take this into consideration when you plan on drinking your water. Also, when I'm properly hydrated, I get up at least once a night to use the bathroom-- I immediately fall back to sleep.

My Cross Country coaches in high school told us we should use the bathroom every class change if we were properly hydrated. Class changes were every hour.

2. Lack of flavor

Add flavor. The most natural weigh is with lemon or lime or mint leaves. But, now you can buy Crystal Light or Gatorade or generic flavor packets.

Benefits:

1. Feel better.
I seem to have more energy, less tired (is that redundant?) and feel lighter when I'm drinking water.

2. Skin looks better.
Drinking water is moisturizing from the inside. Your complexion will look clearer.

3. Appetite suppressant.
Often times when dehydrated, you'll read a thirst cue as a hunger cue. Water has fewer calories and costs less than food.

4. Increased athletic and mental performance.
You'll body will fatigue at a slower rate. The human body is about 70% water-- it just functions better with water. Apparently, water helps with mental fatigue as well (glycogen helps with this as well). As any athlete will tell you, the mental part of a workout or race is the toughest part.