Hydration guide Part II

We continue our adventure into the world of hydration. These are the drinks and foods that are best for your hydration. Here are our hydra-tips.

The best hydrating fluids

By default, plain water makes up perfectly for lost fluid. During the day, try to choose water as often as possible to replenish fluids. Which you can flavour if you like! You can make a refreshing cocktail with lemon, orange, blueberries, strawberries, mint and basil leaves, which will be even more refreshing if you put it in the fridge for a few hours. You can also make a super hydrating drink with homemade sugar-free iced tea, smoothies and a variety of fruit smoothies. It's best to avoid soft drinks, juices and energy drinks containing sugar and artificial sweeteners (aspartame, cyclamate, acesulfame, sucralose). If you are very sweaty or exercise in the summer heat, it is also necessary to supplement minerals. Isotonic drinks are a good solution. During exercise, choose a drink that contains 4-8 g of carbohydrate per 100 ml. This will not only replenish fluid and electrolytes, but also energy during exercise.

Hydrating food

Foods and foods with a high water content contribute significantly to optimal hydration. Most fruits and vegetables are water, and in summer there is a wide range of them to choose from. However, make sure that if you want them to replenish fluids, do not heat them, as this reduces their water content. Vegetables with a very high water content are tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and leafy greens. And for fruits it's melons, peaches, strawberries and apples. Melons are also a super choice for hydration because they are 92% water, and are one of the rare foods that have the same concentration of minerals as blood plasma, so they replenish minerals in the same way as isotonic drinks. Soups and stews are also a good choice as a source of fluids in the summer heat.

Coffee, may I?

Yes, you may! On the one hand, caffeine is good for both mental and physical performance, and on the other hand, the antioxidants in coffee are good for your health. And the question is relevant because coffee is often highlighted for its diuretic effects. However, recent studies on the subject have concluded that coffee is as hydrating as water and has no significant dehydrating effect. The reason for this is that coffee, as a beverage, is consumed as a liquid, so there is less chance of fluid loss, as the fluid is immediately replenished. However, the caffeine in coffee does have a diuretic effect, so when taking caffeine-containing tablets and supplements, more care should be taken to ensure hydration. The caffeine content of an average cup of coffee varies between 80-100 mg, but moderate coffee consumption does not increase the risk of dehydration. To achieve this, make sure that your daily caffeine intake is maximised at 3-4 mg/kg body weight.

Got a child? Then watch out for this!

Children have proportionally less body surface area than adults, which is why their core temperature rises more easily, with harmful consequences. A warning sign of dehydration is if your little one is groggy, fussy, has no appetite and pees little. Drink often, but in small portions to avoid stomach aches from drinking too much at once. Chilled, chopped fruit slices are also great for them. Serve them with fresh and juicy treats for lunch or dinner, fruit smoothies or pressed juices, homemade tea.

In summer, make an extra effort to satisfy your fluid intake! But it's important to be aware of the warning signs. Of course, the best thing would be to prevent dehydration symptoms by drinking enough fluids.

Here are some tips for optimal hydration and preventing dehydration:

• drink frequently, about 10-15 glasses of water a day (1 glass = 250 ml)
• drink 1 glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach 
• eat at least 5 times a day vegetables and fruit
• if you are not at home, prepare in advance and have chilled water and fruit to hand
• check the colour of your urine, if it gets darker, drink immediately
• try not to be thirsty, as feeling thirsty is a sign that you are already dehydrated
• drink 5-7 ml of water per kg body weight 1.5-2 hours before exercise
• drink 100-150 ml of fluid every 20 minutes during exercise
• after exercise, replace 150% of your lost body weight with fluid (to calculate this, weigh yourself before and after exercise)

Forrás:

Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE (2014). No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population.