How To Maximize Water Absorption
Athletes can sweat up to 100 ounces of water per hour while training in a hot environment. Since the gut can absorb only 30-33 ounces of water per hour, athletes can dehydrate even though they drink plenty of water.
Here are 6 quick tips to help your gut absorb water faster:
- Have water in your gut when your start exercising (drink plenty before the practice, workout, or event).
- Drink a cold beverage (41 to 50° F)
- Drink a beverage that’s low in sugar and salt
- Add 60 grams of medium-chain carbohydrates (maltodextrin works best) to each 33 ounces of your beverage (if it’s water)
- Drink a little often
- Choose a beverage that you like
Also:
- Train to drink a lot. Your body can’t “adapt” to dehydration and you won’t increase the quantity of water your can drink without feeling ill if you don’t work at it.
- Drink plenty between workouts to recover faster. Also, salt your meals (or drinks) between workouts. This helps keep the water in and rehydrate faster. This, in turn, speeds up recovery.
Note that these tips apply to sports or cardiovascular exercise in a hot environment, where dehydration is an issue. If you just lift weights, you don’t sweat much during training, and your goal is to build muscle, I’d recommend you stick with a protein shake with some medium-chain carbohydrates added in a ratio of 2:1 (begin with 30 g carbs and 15 g protein; scale up until you experience discomfort).
References and additional reading
Horswill CA (1998) Effective fluid replacement. Int J Sport Nutr 8(2):175-95.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9637195
Convertino VA et al. (1996) American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28(1):i-vii.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9303999
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If you’re still reading, chances are, you want to know more about me. I (really) am passionate about weightlifting, and I enjoy reading (mostly on leadership and personal development), studying (currently at the Ph.D in Health Promotion), and spending quality time with friends.
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