Hydration is an important aspects of training, regardless of what season of the year it is. Hydration becomes all the more important when training in a warm weather.
Where the climate is high in humidity and it is warmer than normal, your body becomes dehydrated. This means that your body is not able to produce enough perspiration to regulate your body temperature and body temperature starts to rise. When your body temperature reaches high levels, your muscles start to weaken and forces you to slow down. This is a normal protection procedure of the body to prevent heatstroke.
In order to prevent dropping out, hydration becomes a top priority followed by glycogen replacement. Losses in fluid levels of more than two percent of total body weight can lead to drops in performance of more than ten percent. In other words, if a 200lb man lost 4lbs of sweat his hundred-meter time would potentially drop from ten seconds to eleven.
The highest muscle glycogen synthesis rates have been reported when large amounts of carbohydrate (1.0-1.85 g/kg/h) are consumed immediately post-exercise and at 15-60 minute intervals thereafter, for up to 5 hours post-exercise. When carbohydrate ingestion is delayed by several hours, this may lead to ~50% lower rates of muscle glycogen synthesis. The addition of certain amino acids and/or proteins to a carbohydrate supplement can increase muscle glycogen synthesis rates, most probably because of an enhanced insulin response.
Avoid ingesting any form of dairy during or immediately after intense or particularly draining bouts of exercise |
A drink possessing amino acids and a carbohydrate post-exercise has been shown to increase insulin response while at the same time lowering the risk of gastrointestinal distress.
- Water: Drink at least two to two-and-a-half, 8-ounce glasses up to two hours before your workout, one 8-ounce glass 15 minutes before, and one 8-ounce glass every 15 minutes during your workout, according to the experts. This way, you can fight dehydration and sweat losses early on.
- Coconut Water: Coconut water is considered as “fluid for life”. It contains a bounty of nutrients that can help fight the summer heat. It’s a natural coolant and can help reduce body heat. It contains tremendous amount of potassium, which researchers say ease charley-horse-style aches, and it contains enough antioxidants and minerals to replenish stores that have been diminished by light exercise, such as yoga. Because of its low sodium content, coconut water isn’t right for recovery after more intense workouts like running.
- Coffee: According to study author Michael Duncan, Ph.D., of Coventry University in the United Kingdom, Caffeine blocks the signals of pain and fatigue that your hard-working muscles send back to your brain. Caffeine may help you lift more weight and also reduce your perception of exertion and pain, according to new research in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
- Orange Drink: 200ml of orange squash (concentrated orange), 1 litre of water and a pinch of salt (1g). Mix all the ingredients together and keep chilled.
- Cherry Juice: The antioxidants in cherries, namely the flavanoids and anthyocyanins, can alleviate inflammation and swelling post-workout. A study from the U.K. found that runners who regularly drank cherry juice before and after a workout had faster muscle recovery. After drinking cherry juice, athletes returned to 90 per cent of normal muscle force in 24 hours, compared to only 85 per cent of normal at the same time point without cherry juice.
Go, get faster, stronger, leaner, and sexier and recover in less time with these drinks.