Dark yellow urine. During severe hydration, individuals may experience low blood pressure, sunken eyes, a lack of tears or sweat, rapid heart rate, and in extreme cases, unconsciousness.

Those all sound ideal to avoid, right? Since duration and intensity of workouts, fitness level, weather, apparel, and even altitude changes can impact how much you sweat, Jones says that these factors also impact how much fluid you need before, during, and after exercise.

In this example, that would work out to around 11 cups of water. From there, scale up using the guidance below for the best way to hydrate. The experts we spoke to agree that you should start ramping things up two hours prior to your sweat session. Drink 16 to 24 ounces at that time, then 15 minutes before you clip in to your bike or start a workout, drink another 8 to 16 ounces.

Aim for 30 to 60 grams of low-fiber carbs before your workout—10 large pretzel twists have 48 grams. So to keep up with hydration, a good starting point is to drink about 16 to 32 ounces per 30 to 60 minutes. A sports drink or electrolyte packet in your water plus an energy gel or bar will do.

More on that later! After a moderate sweat sesh of 30 to 60 minutes, simply get back into the flow of your usual daily eating and drinking patterns, Jones says. If you did happen to fall behind on some hydration and sweated more than you consumed during the workout, for each pound lost, drink 24 ounces of water.

Sodium is the electrolyte we lose most in sweat, and needs to be replaced after workouts. Electrolytes, including sodium and potassium, are found in sports drinks or powdered hydration packets, as well as in food.

While sodium might get a bad rap because 47 percent of Americans have hypertension a condition that can be worsened by increased sodium consumption , rehydration "water weight" isn't a bad thing for the average active adult, Jones says.

Sweat loss can add up to to 1, milligrams of sodium per hour, Jones says. Remember that pretzel portion of pre-workout fuel? It offers milligrams of sodium. Try to refresh your electrolyte stores within 60 minutes post-workout. That might lead to an uncomfortable sloshing feeling in your stomach.

If you really overdo it on that not-recommended pre-workout water chugging, you can actually end up overshooting your hydration goals and may slip into hyperhydration territory. In serious cases, this can lead to coma, seizures, or death.

Hyponatremia, or severely low sodium levels. So no need to go wild with your water intake if you happen to be approaching a workout slightly dehydrated. Instead, stick to the best practices mentioned above and lean into the powers of electrolytes and carbohydrates.

As we mentioned, the extra sodium and carbohydrates in that sports drink help your body better utilize the fluid you are consuming. On rest days, set a goal to drink half of your body weight in pounds in ounces. By keeping up with your hydration throughout the day, you can avoid the uncomfortable—and sometimes dangerous—symptoms of dehydration or hyper hydration, and can set yourself up for sweat success.

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.

Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or immediately. But really, over-hydration is "rare," according to Clark, who noted that most people don't drink enough fluids while working out.

While exercising is good for you, it's common to incur minor cell or tissue damage after a workout. Proteins can help repair any damage, so Clark recommended rehydrating with a protein-rich drink after an incredibly intense workout. But it's not just about protein, said Clark.

Because you expend substantial energy when exercising, "you want about three times more carbohydrates than protein," so Clark recommended flavored milk as a fluid replacement.

Many problems can result from not drinking enough water. Perhaps one of the most common is fatigue. If you don't drink enough water, then "your blood gets thicker from lower water content, and your heart has to work harder, which means you get tired," noted Clark.

Clark recommended drinking fluids before you even begin to exercise, especially if you're doing something that requires a lot of stamina. Also, drinking fluids during a workout is a good idea, too. While it might be cumbersome to carry water with you on the run, it's worth it, according to Clark.

Exercise has many benefits to our bodies but losing hydration is one of the side effects. It's essential to keep hydrated all of the time, especially when exercising. Proper fluid replenishment is the key to preventing dehydration. Tips such as how much, when, and what fluids to bring along should help you feel your best when exercising.

Amiri M, Ghiasvand R, Kaviani M, Forbes SC, Salehi-Abargouei A. Chocolate milk for recovery from exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. Anti-Doping Agency. Fluids and hydration. National Kidney Foundation.

Peake JM, Neubauer O, Della Gatta PA, Nosaka K. Muscle damage and inflammation during recovery from exercise. J Appl Physiol Taylor K, Jones EB. Adult dehydration. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising.

Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance.

Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content.

Follow a hydration plan every day. For example, if you want to consume ounces of fluid per day, break that down into smaller servings. If you are awake 15 hours each day, drink eight ounces every 2 hours.

Set a timer throughout the day — and during your training sessions or games — so you drink something every 15 to 20 minutes. Carry a water bottle so fluids are always accessible and you remember to drink.

Eat foods with high water content. Watermelon, grapefruit, strawberries, and cantaloupe are great options. Not all fluid intake needs to be in pure liquid form. Water is the go-to drink throughout the day and during workouts. Eby suggests you consider a sports drink when you exercise at high intensity for longer than 45 minutes.

They contain electrolytes essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium , which are vital to bodily function. Trial these fluids while training to discover which work well for you. Alcohol: Alcohol is a diuretic, which makes your body remove fluids at a faster rate.

Caffeine: Caffeine also has diuretic effects, but not as much as alcohol. Generally, the fluid in a caffeinated beverage offsets any dehydrating effects. Carbonated beverages: Carbonated drinks can cause gastrointestinal distress, and your body may not absorb carbonated fluids as well as flat liquids.

Eby recommends certain populations keep an even closer eye on hydration and drink additional fluids. As we age, our bodies contain less fluid overall, our sense of thirst diminishes, and kidney function tends to decline. Therefore, older athletes are more prone to both dehydration and heat-related illness.

Exercise is generally safe for pregnant people, but they should be especially careful about hydration. Caffeine can lead to rushes and crashes and can be dehydrating just like alcohol. Soft drinks or juice are usually high in carbohydrates and low in sodium.

So, when drinking, stick to sports drinks or water for staying hydrated for exercise. If you prefer the feel of fizzy drinks, see if your gym has a sparkling water dispenser , so you can still hydrate whilst enjoying the feel of the bubbles. Similar to being dehydrated, drinking too much can be harmful to you.

When you drink more than you lose during sweating or urinating, it can cause your body and cells to swell up. This can cause fluid retention and symptoms like bloating, headaches, feeling disoriented, or even feeling sick or vomiting.

If you start to feel these symptoms make sure you take a break from drinking and your body should work its way through it. If the pain continues seek medical advice. The importance of staying hydrated when exercising as well as before and after is essential for a great workout and keeping your body functioning the way it should be.

Make sure that you are drinking plenty before, during and after exercise, a good way to tell how hydrated you are is through your urine.

Bring a refillable bottle and remember that most gyms have water dispensers for you and get your sweat on! BRITA's new campaign uncovers how much energy and money businesses potentially waste by leaving their equipment on overnight and provides essential insights to help businesses cut energy usage across three key sectors — Corporate, Hospitality and Healthcare.

From installation to water types, see our suggestions on why choosing to install a water dispenser in your gym environment. Why is it Important to Drink Water During Exercise?

The Importance of Hydration During Exercise Drinking water and staying hydrated during the day is important for many reasons. Hydration Before Exercise While drinking water during exercise is important, make sure you are hydrated before you even start your workout.

If you are becoming thirsty during your workouts, make sure not to drink too rapidly, as this can cause discomfort, make you feel bloated and affect the overall outcome of your workout. While many of us fail to take hydration into account before our workouts, even more of us let ourselves down after an exercise session.

The fastest way to recover is sipping small amounts of water regularly, rather than guzzling down litre after litre in one go. Opting for foods that are naturally high in water content — like cucumbers, tomatoes and celery — can help you recover more quickly post-workout.

While water is best to replenish hydration, intense workouts can often benefit from something that offers more energy. Due to the amount of glucose and caffeine in them, sports drinks can provide your body with the burst of energy it needs to get through your workout.

But, a lot of the time they also include a carb solution, so depending on your goals, these can either be beneficial to your progress. Failing to drink enough water during the day can cause a whole host of problems for your mental and physical health. Not drinking enough water can cause overall fluid loss in the body.

When your body is dehydrated, the kidneys will start to retain as much fluid as they can to maintain their functions. Water has also been known to help reduce acne and other skin problems by helping to flush out harmful toxins from the body.

If you start to feel cramp coming on, take a break to have a drink. One of the first signs of dehydration is dry mouth.

As soon as your mouth starts feeling a little dusty, get a drink. Ignoring dry mouth can seriously impact your performance. Feeling lightheaded during a workout is a sign of dehydration and a signal to take your workout down a notch.

You should stop exercising the moment you feel dizzy; powering through a dizziness spell can be dangerous. On top of this, it also causes fatigue, headaches and difficulty in concentration, making it harder to perform basic tasks.

Every day, we lose water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For our body to function properly, we need to replenish its water supply by eating and drinking anything that contains water. But, is it possible that we could sometimes drink too much?