Here's why you must drink water before, during and after your workouts

Fitness expert Neeraj Mehta tells us exactly how much water you need to drink during each workout session.

Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : May 4, 2016 4:12 PM IST

If you are walking into your gym and have geared up to spend some good amount of time exercising to burn calories, there is one thing you cannot miss out a bottle of water. And if you are not carrying one with you, you better get one, advises fitness expert Neeraj Mehta director of GFFI Fitness Academy. It is essential to sip water during your workouts and in between your sets. Here, he answers some basic questions on water intake during exercise.

Why you need to drink water during workouts?

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It is crucial to drink water before, during and after workouts. Lack of water in your body can affect your performance to a great extent, be it working out at gym, running or any other athletic performance. If you want to check out whether water intake really matters, then try this: perform one set be of either pull down, bench press, overhead press, etc., when you are hydrated. Next, try repeating your sets without drinking water. You will notice the difference with every passing set. Your heart rate would decrease with every set you do and your heart will need more time to recover from the effort. Apart from that, it will also affect your muscle strength. Dehydration could also increase your chances of injury.

Remember, two-third of our body consists of water, which directly promotes metabolism. Exercising or gymming leads to sweating. You lose a large amount of fluids and if the weather is hot, it is natural for you to feel thirsty during the workout and suppressing your thirst isn t a very good idea.

How much water do you need to drink while working out?

There is no straight answer to this question. The requirement differs according to the age of the person, height, weight, gender, exercise intensity, duration of exercise and weather conditions, etc. Also, men would need more water than women due to larger body volumes. However, there are estimations that can help you fulfil your need. Generally, we have eight glasses of water every day on an average. But this may differ accordingly. On an average, it is suggested that you sip around 200 mL to 300 mL of water (avoid sweetened beverages) every 20-30 minute during exercise. Keeping your body pre-hydrated is also a good idea. Drink approximately 450 mL to 600 mL of water one two hours before you workout and then again 200 mL to 300 mL of water 20 minutes before you begin and within 30 minutes of exercising you should drink approx 250 ml of water.

What is the right way to drinking water during exercising?

Here are few things to keep in mind while drinking water during your workouts:

Drink water that is at room temperature because cold water could make your body work harder to absorb the water.
Take small sips, don t chug until you quench your thirst. Your body doesn t absorb water well if you drink too much too fast.
Drinking too much water is not a major issue if you are lifting weights but if you are doing cardio avoid excessive water intake. Instead, take few sips to replenish lost energy.
If you sweat too much, add a sports drink with water during and after exercise to avoid low blood sodium caused by excess water loss. In hot temperatures or humid conditions, a supplementary sports drink is suggested if you are working out for more than an hour.
Some people suffer from stomach-ache with their tummy fully of water during sprinting or doing yoga. They should avoid drinking water just before they begin their workout. Else, consult your trainer as to how much water you can drink.

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