Yes! You should always exercise or compete fully hydrated to minimize the potential side effects of fluid loss.

You should assess any signs of dehydration and correct them before exercising. The three main signs are: an increase in weight, dark urine color, and thirst. If any of these signs are present, consume 17oz of water with 200-300mg of sodium to begin the rehydration process, or dissolve one HYDRO tablet in a glass of water.

How much fluid you lose during exercise is unique to each person and depends on several factors, so fluid intake recommendations should also be unique. To do this, estimate your whole body sweat rate during the specific conditions you are training for or competing in. This is based on the idea that body mass lost during exercise is equal to fluid loss. Therefore, the change in body mass before and after exercise can be used to estimate whole body sweat loss during a workout (1g body mass = 1ml of sweat lost).

SWEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS

Whole-Body Sweat Loss = [Body mass pre-exercise – (Body mass post-exercise – Fluid intake during exercise + Urine Output during exercise)]

Whole-Body Sweat Rate = Whole-body sweat loss / Exercise Duration 

Once calculated, you should drink enough to keep body mass loss to a minimum - even a 2-3% reduction in body weight from sweat can affect physical and mental performance.

Electrolytes are essential minerals that play an important role in how your muscles work and your nerves send signals.

As well as losing water through sweat, we also lose electrolytes, mainly sodium, but also potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Although the amount of sodium lost during workouts varies, replacing it comes down to fluid balance and maintaining the correct ratio of water to electrolytes.

You can replace lost electrolytes through food or supplements such as our HYDRO tablet, HYDRO+ sticks, or our GO Electrolyte powder.