As an athlete, you should be mindful of hydration. That's because proper hydration can help you to optimize your overall performance as an athlete. On the other hand, hydration can help you to overcome numerous health problems as well. Here are 7 useful tips that you can follow in order to remain hydrated as an athlete.

You should come up with a proper hydration plan before you focus on hydration. That’s because hydration is an all-day game plan. Men should consume around 125 ounces of water per day and women should consume around 91 ounces of water. Out of this, around 20% should come from food. While keeping these facts in mind, you can develop a proper hydration plan.

Next, you will need to take all fluid losses into consideration. If you lose around 1% to 3% of your body weight, the reason for it can be dehydration. You will need to take around 20 pounds of water for every pound that you lose from body weight. The main goal here should be to replace all the losses within a period of two hours of activity.

Most athletes will experience the signs of dehydration while they are engaged in athletic events. Some of the most prominent signs out of them include a decrease in energy, muscle cramps, and coordination decline. On top of that, you will also have to experience a reduction in overall athletic performance.

Hydration will not just come from beverages. You should also look for ways to hydrate with the food you consume. For example, foods such as strawberries, watermelon, and grapefruit can help you to remain hydrated. On top of that, you may also take a look at cantaloupe as it is an excellent pre-compositional snack, which you can consume during the workouts. Then you can easily maintain proper fluid balance within the body.

Sports drinks are an excellent option available for you to remain hydrated. However, you should be wise at the time of selecting a sports drink. This is where you should take a look at the ingredients of the sports drink. You need to pick a sports drink that contains sodium, carbohydrates, and potassium as active ingredients. There are great alternatives to sports drinks now available on the market that address the issues of hydration and recovery. Check out the selection of 10 Second wellness shots to find out which one matches your needs.

You will need to develop fluid breaks as well. You can consume three different servings where you consume 8 fluids every 20 minutes while engaged with workouts. Based on the activity, this can either be water or any other sports drink. 

Coffee is not the healthiest drink that you can consume as an athlete. However, you should think twice before you give up that morning cup of coffee. Coffee is a mild diuretic beverage. It doesn’t provide any direct benefits to you with hydration. However, you will still be able to raise your energy levels with coffee, which is important to get the most out of the workouts.

Final words

Now you have a great understanding of how to maintain proper hydration as an athlete. All you have to do is to adhere to these simple steps, and you can receive much-needed assistance with maintaining hydration throughout workouts.