What is 60% of your Body Weight?

That’s right! Water is the largest component of the human body – comprising of about 60% of your body weight. Your brain, skin, kidneys, heart, cells, muscles, joints, digestion, and temperature are greatly affected by your hydration level. I like to think of my blood vessels and organs as a big water park – if the water flow is low are turned off, the park doesn’t function properly… kids would get stick to the bottom of the slides, the equipment would get Very hot and unusable. Your body is the same way. You must be properly hydrated to get nutrients swooshing through your blood stream like The Summit Plummet at Disney! So how do we make sure we are properly hydrated????

First, go to  www.thecoca-colacompany.com/hydrationcalculator    It’s a really cool hydration calculator to get an estimate of how much fluid you should consume each day. Then, follow these 3 hydration steps to stay safe and maximize your performance!

Pre-hydrate

performance suffers when you start an activity dehydrated. with less circulating fluid, your heart has to work harder and your body temperature rises higher and faster. Your body is not able to cool itself properly and your endurance suffers.

ACSM (American College of Sport’s Medicine) recommends 14-20oz of fluid 2-hrs BEFORE an activity.

Hydrate

not too little – not too much – the best way to hydrate is to calculate and then match your Sweat Rate (go to www.hydration.thecoca-colacompany.com ) For strenuous activity lasting more than an hour hydrating with a sports drink will help you replace lost electrolytes.

Rehydrate

rehydrate with 16oz of fluid for every pound you lose due to physical activity!

Now you have a few tips and tools to utilize to keep you running like a CHAMP, but remember, with each workout you are getting fitter. Your lungs, muscles, and bones are getting stronger; your body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol may be decreasing; and your body is becoming more efficient at sweating! You may start to notice that you start sweating earlier — your body is catching on that you are serious about this fitness stuff and so it starts to sweat earlier in the workout so that you will not get overheated. Next, your body becomes more efficient at cooling you off — the volume of sweat is increased (i.e. the puddle you are laying in after BodyStep) and your sweat composition changes so that you lose fewer electrolytes. So, as with everything keep reassessing and adjusting and enjoy your new found ATHLETIC GLOW!

Happy Glistening,

Nikki