The Best Drink During Exercise
Water is something all living things cannot live without. Our body is more prone to disease, sickness and fatigue the more dehydrated we are. Since our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, we need to be constantly hydrated. Our body will lose the means of function if lack of moisture is being experienced. That is why water is considered the best drink during exercise.
Water is needed for various reasons of our body. Aside from quenching our thirst, some of the things water is used for are:
- To improve blood circulation
- To regulate the body’s temperature
- To distribute nutrients to various parts of the body
- To lubricate joints
- To assimilate water-soluble vitamins
- To improve digestion
Did you know that during extreme cases, a person could stay alive without food for several weeks as long as they drink water? Without water however, humans will only survive for at least a week.
Studies suggest that drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up is the best way to start the day, especially if you like to exercise during the early hours of the day. Doing so will help you wake up and feel refreshed and alert the same way coffee does. This also helps replenish the moisture we lose during a night of slumber.
During Exercise
We lose the water in our bodies by doing various activities throughout the day like sweating, urinating, and even just breathing, in fact, on average, a person will lose about 250 milliliters daily just by doing the simple and unavoidable task of breathing.
With that current thought in mind, imagine the water we lose during exercise, an activity that makes you sweat more than you normally do, and breath harder than usual.
Starting out adequately hydrated works best during exercise. Always keep your water bottle nearby and don’t forget to drink regularly even if you are not thirsty. Adding a squeeze of lemon to your regular water not only spruces up the taste, it will help stimulate your bowels and send you to the restroom, you’ll feel better during your wok out if you accomplish this step first.
Coffee as a Hydrating Drink
Most people drink coffee in the morning to fully feel awake. Coffee is diuretic, meaning it stimulates urination. Although urinating is good because this is a process of extracting waste, too much of it will deplete the water in your body faster. Moreover, waking up in the morning is basically waking up from an 8 to 10 hour fast, drinking coffee will do little to contribute hydration during that time. This was a popular belief way back but recent studies by the US government’s Institute of medicine seeks to disprove this.
According to their recent studies, having a cup of coffee will give you the same hydrating effects as a glass of water. Furthermore, drinking a cup of the stuff before workout will release adrenaline and boosts speed and endurance, all while reducing mind and muscle fatigue.
Though this is good news for coffee and tea enthusiasts, this is far from suggesting that you should replace all the water in your diet with coffee or tea, water is still very much needed by our body to thrive. Maybe drink a glass of water before drinking your regular morning coffee or tea to get the best of both worlds.