Feeling thirsty? You should drink some water. It’s no secret that hydration is essential for maintaining your general health and wellbeing. But it also plays a vital role in sports performance and recovery. Let’s find out more.
We need to drink water to stay alive—but so many of us forget to drink enough water. Even mild hydration comes with its fair share of unpleasant side effects, and more severe dehydration can be life-threatening. So, if you’re the active type (which we are sure you are)—hydration should be at the top of your wellbeing priority list.
Whether you like to get your body pumping for fun, you’re training for an event or you’re a budding athlete, understanding the importance of water and electrolytes for hydration will help you supercharge your recovery and reach your goals faster.
Here, we’re going to look at why it is important to stay hydrated and how to get it right for faster recovery.
Ready? Let’s go.
Hydration for recovery: The facts
Consistently smashing your fitness goals takes persistence, balance, and consistency (a little motivation doesn’t hurt, either).
While a healthy wholefood diet and a well-crafted training plan are essential—hydration can fall by the wayside when it comes to sports performance and recovery.
Focusing on your fluid intake will give you that all-important fitness edge. Getting your daily fill of water and electrolytes is the best way to hydrate your way to success.
Let’s find out why hydration is important in sport and exercise recovery.
Water
Rather than focusing on coffee, fruit juice and energy drinks—drinking plenty of water will keep your health and wellbeing in the green. So, stay hydrated.
Here are some hard facts about water when it comes to sports recovery…
- Not drinking enough water will sap your energy
- Not drinking enough water will lower your performance
- Not drinking enough will give you digestive issues
- Staying hydrated will help your muscles repair faster
Electrolytes
What are electrolytes, exactly? Well, electrolytes are chemicals that conduct electricity when dissolved in water.
When you consume electrolytes, you’ll elevate your spotting performance as well as your recovery.
On the flip side, without enough electrolytes in your body—you’ll run the risk of suffering from fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, and irritability. Not good for bouncing back between training sessions.
Get your fill of electrolytes both before and after your workouts, and…
- Regulate your muscle function
- Balance your blood pressure
- Rebuild damaged muscle tissue
- Stay hydrated throughout the day
A glass of water or two or three or…? How much should I drink to stay hydrated?
According to professional guidelines (2), an athlete or active person should aim to drink regularly, between 11 and 15 standard cups of water for good hydration.
When it comes to electrolytes, you should try to consume around 800 ml per day (3) if you’re an active person.
The recovery-boosting benefits of electrolytes & water
Whatever physical activity you take part in, drinking water and levelling up your electrolyte intake will supercharge your recovery.
Here are the main benefits of staying hydrated for sports recovery.
Helps with muscle soreness
Drinking water in the right quantities and getting your fill of electrolytes will help your body absorb all of those essential nutrients more efficiently while flushing away any toxins that accumulate when you train hard and lose water.
In doing so, you’ll reduce those pesky symptoms of muscle soreness while accelerating the muscle recovery process. It’s a win-win.
Tackles muscle cramps
Good hydration will fight muscle cramps—the kind that can seriously stunt your recovery—by preventing, well, dehydration.
Even a spot of mild dehydration can create inefficiencies in your muscles, causing painful cramping. So, drinking fluids (especially in hot weather) will help to fight severe dehydration and cramps.
Taking electrolyte powders alongside water will also restore your body’s sodium levels, which is essential when it comes to preventing muscle cramps and aiding swift recovery.
Boosts energy
Physically active people need to stay energised. That’s a fact. So, watching your fluid intake—both water and electrolytes—will help to keep your body’s various systems working efficiently, helping you maintain solid energy levels in the process.
To keep working towards your fitness goals and recovering well between training sessions, having enough spring in your step is vital—and staying hydrated will help you do just that.
Reach your fitness goals the Smart way
“If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.”—Oprah Winfrey
So, there you have it: Drink water, take electrolytes, and accelerate your sports recovery..
Getting enough fluid is not only essential to your personal health, but it will also complement your nutritional efforts and training plan in a big way. So, stay hydrated, and you’ll reap a wealth of body-boosting rewards.
If you want to bounce back faster between training sessions the Smart way, try our specially-curated Recovery Kit or Vegan Recovery Kit, including top-quality electrolyte powder, turmeric & ginger gummies, and a unique blend of body-boosting protein. Go for it.
SOURCES
Smart Protein is committed to sourcing only the best and scientifically-based research in our articles.
1. Ncbi
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8336541/
2. Mass General Brigham
https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/articles/tips-for-staying-hydrated
