The only way any human body can survive is depended on the intake of water in a certain amount of time. Every thing inside you relies on water; cells, tissues and organs all use water to function properly. Losing the necessary water in the body is very easy. The simplest tasks such as going to the bathroom, sweating and even breathing can cause a loss of water. Not replacing the water inside the body can cause someone to become dehydrated.

How can we make staying hydrated more consistent within sports?

Exercising causes the body to lose water rapidly. Although the mind can correlate the need for water, coaches also need to understand the importance of letting their athletes drink water throughout practice. To keep muscles engaged and to avoid fatigued muscles, it is important to drink some type of liquid before, during and after the exercise.

The guide to use when preparing for a workout is to drink about two cups of fluid two hours before the start time of the scheduled workout. Keeping hydrated before losing a large amount of liquid is a necessity that many athletes never seem to remember.

During exercise, it is noted that the participant should drink four to six ounces every 15-20 minutes. Which when tested, is a lot of liquid to intake in a short amount of time.

When determining how much water to drink after the work out, step on a scale before the workout and record the weight. After you have sweated off some calories, weigh the post-workout pounds and record the data. For each pound of water weight you lost, drink 20 ounces of fluid.

For typical workouts, water does the trick to hydrate muscles. If the workout lasts more than an hour, either a diluted juice or a sports drink will replace lost electrolytes. Electrolytes consists of sodium, potassium and magnesium which can be found in sweat. These drinks also provide carbohydrates for energy along with other minerals which can replace the electrolytes. With any sports drink, athletes become concerned with the amount of calories they are taking. With any high calorie drink, diluting the liquid with water will do enough to keep the liquid low calories.

Staying hydrated is important for not just athletes. Drinking four bottles of water everyday is relevant for everyone. Many have caused themselves to become very sick in the hospital just from being dehydrated. Instead of getting IVs, it is easier, healthier and more convenient to take time out of the day to take a sip of water or sports drink.