Whether you’re on the go for work, you like to exercise regularly, or you’re just living a busy lifestyle, we’re constantly putting pressure on our bodies. Therefore, staying hydrated is of huge importance, whatever it is you do.
Below, we’ve shared some top facts and tips to stay hydrated and you can scroll down to find recipes to try at home too.
Top tips to stay hydrated
- Approximately 60% of the human body is water. We should drink about 6-8 glasses of fluid each day – but this can be from a variety of drinks
- Teas and coffee can count (in moderation), although it is recommended to consume them without sugar, honey or syrups (zero/low calorie sweetener is fine)
- Milk is a useful source of nutrients including calcium, iodine, B vitamins and protein. Adults and older children should choose lower-fat varieties
- Sugar-free drinks provide fluid without extra calories. In contrast, drinks like squashes and fizzy drinks are acidic, which can harm teeth
- Fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies provide some vitamins and minerals, however, they also contain free sugars so should be limited to one small glass (150ml) per day. This counts as a maximum of one portion of your 5-a-day
- Sugary drinks have been linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay. These drinks should be consumed very rarely
- Sports drinks can be high in free sugar and are generally only useful if training at high intensity for over an hour
- Energy drinks can be high in free sugar and may contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants. These drinks should be consumed very rarely (if ever)
- Alcohol is a diuretic which causes greater fluid loss leading to dehydration. 14 units of alcohol per week is the maximum recommended safe limit. This should be spread evenly over 3 or more days
- Feeling thirsty is usually a sign of dehydration, therefore regular fluid intake is recommended throughout each day. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty
Guide to sports drinks and recipes to make your own
Every cell, organ and tissue in our body needs water to function – so staying hydrated day-to-day is one of the most essential things we can do.
Water helps temperature regulation, blood circulation, joint lubrication, waste removal and nutrient transportation, so becoming dehydrated can cause serious harm to our overall health. Most adults require 1.5 – 2.5 litres of fluids per day (around 6 – 10 glasses) to maintain hydration, however, in hotter environments and when being physically active, more fluid is required.
A simple guide to follow is – if you’re urinating less than four times per day and/or urine starts to smell and becomes dark in colour, (it should be a pale, straw colour), then you are dehydrated and need to consume more fluids.
If thirst sets in, it’s likely you are somewhat dehydrated, so it’s best to get into the habit of drinking fluids little and often, aiming to refill your water bottle at certain times throughout the day. Little and often is also important because drinking a large volume of fluid in one go is likely to result in diuresis (excessive production of urine).
What to drink?
When undertaking vigorous physical activity for over an hour and/or when hot/humid environmental conditions increase the rate of sweating, the speed of rehydration becomes important. This is when sports drinks can play a useful role.
These products are designed for rapid hydration or to provide energy – or a combination of both.
Whilst regular water is hydrating, it passively moves into and out of the gut, taking its time to get into the bloodstream. However, glucose (carbohydrate) and sodium chloride (salt) are actively transported into the bloodstream through the small intestine. When mixed with water they act as carrier molecules dragging water into the blood faster.
This is why the main ingredients of all sports drinks are: water, carbohydrate and sodium. There are three categories of sports drink: isotonic, hypotonic or hypertonic…
Isotonic drinks
If a drink contains approximately 6 – 7 % glucose and 50 mg of sodium chloride per 100 ml, it is isotonic, meaning it has a similar number of osmotically active particles compared with our blood.
This results in a rate of fluid absorption which is two to three times faster than standard water. The drink also provides some energy in the form of glucose, which is the body’s preferred source of fuel during vigorous physical activity. This dual purpose is why most sports drinks on the market are isotonic.
Hypotonic drinks
These are the versions of sports drinks which are often advertised as ‘Low cal’ or ‘Lite’, as they contain only 2% glucose.
Due to the small amount of carbohydrate, they are not useful as a source of fuel, however, because they have less osmotically active particles (but still have some) than our blood, hypotonic drinks can be absorbed five-times faster than standard water. When rapid rehydration is crucial, this is an excellent option.
Hypertonic drinks
The main purpose of these drinks is to provide energy due to them containing 18–20% glucose and no electrolytes. They should not be used for hydration, as they actually promote cellular dehydration.
How they’re useful for firefighters:
During a shout while wearing BA, or during a fire, a substantial amount of body water can be lost in a short amount of time.
Unlike athletes during a sporting contest, firefighters are unable to stay hydrated (by drinking fluids) while wearing BA. As such, it may be advisable to have access to a hypotonic drink immediately following a hot wear, to rehydrate effectively.
Commercially available sports drinks can be expensive, so below are some simple recipes to create homemade sports drinks.
It’s important to remember, however, that there’s a link between over-consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and onset of type 2 diabetes. It is therefore advisable only to use sports drinks as needed. Most of the time, most of your hydration needs can be met with water and other fluids.
Please note – whilst it’s crucial to replenish lost fluid and electrolytes, be cautious to avoid drinking in excess of sweat losses which may lead to exercise-associated hyponatremia. This can have serious health consequences.
Home Made Sports Drinks
Hypotonic drink
Recipe 1
- 100ml of squash
- 900ml of water
- Pinch of salt
- Mix and drink.
Recipe 2
- 20 g sugar
- One litre of warm water
- Pinch of salt
- Mix, cool and drink
Isotonic drinks
Recipe 1
- 50 – 70g sugar
- One litre of warm water
- Pinch of salt
- Mix, cool and drink
Recipe 2
- 200ml of ordinary fruit squash
- 800ml of water
- A pinch of salt
- Mix and drink
Recipe 3
- 500ml of unsweetened fruit juice (orange, apple, pineapple)
- 500ml of water
- Mix and drink.