After what seemed like a very long and drawn out 2024, many have begun the new year with a renewed commitment to do things differently. Whether you’ve joined a gym, embarked on a new fitness regime or signed up for an event, so far you are probably still feeling pretty motivated. After all, it is early days and even if there’s a hint on the horizon that things may get harder, there’s still a lot you can do to stay the course. One thing that is sure to help keep you going is paying attention to the often neglected area of hydration. You probably already knew that hydration is important to keep in mind when the temperatures climb but it is also something you need to consider in the winter. Essentially, hydration plays a key role in recovery and can affect whether you are fully fit again for the next training block. Which is why it pays to have a not-too-dry January.
But to be clear, I am not suggesting to ditch ‘Dry January’, nor that drinking alcohol as a recovery drink is in any way beneficial to your training. Even if you have your sights on breaking a new record in the Beer Mile. Nonetheless, it is surprising how many people overlook their hydration in the cold months and forget to drink enough after exercising. Sure you may not sweat as much as you would during a hot and sticky August but that doesn’t mean you cannot get dehydrated. The effects of dehydration can still floor you just the same and delay your recovery and send your New Year’s plans off the rails.
When you exercise, the amount of sweat you produce and the fluid that your body will lose depends on several factors such as age, body size, fitness level, health and gender. But it is also true that some people simply sweat more than others. Which means that you should never base what and how much you drink on someone else’s consumption because your hydration needs could be very different. Though as a general rule it is safe to say that the higher the intensity and duration of exercise you do and the hotter and more humid it is, the greater the amount of fluid you will lose in sweat. Of course, the more that you sweat, the more you will need to rehydrate with fluids. But sweat doesn’t only contain water. You also lose electrolytes such as sodium in your sweat, which will also need to be replaced in order to be sufficiently hydrated again.
However, it can be difficult to know how to rehydrate properly after a workout when there are so many drinks available. And not all sports drinks are aimed at recovery hydration. Do you reach for an electrolyte or sports drink? A big glass of milk or a plant alternative? What about some juice, squash or a soft drink? Or is the best option always going to be bog-standard, stick-your-head-under-the-tap, water? To help you decide I’ve broken down recovery hydration into what I hope is some simple guidance to help you choose the best recovery drink.
For low-moderate exercise, 45-60 minutes in normal weather conditions
In these conditions your fluid losses will be generally small and you should be able to rehydrate quickly enough with water. As a result, there is no real benefit from drinking from a sports or electrolyte drink in terms of hydration. Sports drinks can also be very high in sugar, salt, calories, additives and caffeine. Using sports drinks unnecessarily to rehydrate when they are not needed can damage your teeth and be detrimental to your health.
Instead, you can easily replace the fluids and sodium that is lost in your sweat simply by drinking water and eating. Since salt is added to almost every type of food including basic staples such as bread, eating a snack or meal after a workout will contain sufficient salt to rehydrate and promote fluid retention. In effect, you would be hard pressed to not eat enough sodium to support rehydration even if you eat a healthy diet.
- To rehydrate: choose water and eat a snack or meal to replace any sodium loss
For higher intensity exercise, >60 minutes or if you are sweating profusely
In these conditions, your fluid losses will be high to very high. If you stick to drinking only water, then it is difficult (though not impossible) to drink enough to fully hydrate because it will also increase your urine output and subsequent loss of fluids. In this case, using a sports or electrolyte drink that contains sodium can be more effective than water for restoring fluid balance after exercise. Drinks containing sodium increase the urge to drink enough fluid needed to rehydrate while the sodium also works to promote fluid retention. In effect, you don’t lose as much fluid from urination as you would from drinking plain water. This is important because you continue to sweat after you have stopped exercising, so you always need to drink slightly more fluid than you have lost.
While sports and electrolyte drinks that contain sodium may work better in these conditions to rehydrate quickly than plain water, this doesn’t mean that you have to buy expensive recovery drinks. You can make your own version at home by adding ¼ tsp salt + 900ml water + 100ml squash or fruit juice.
However, recent research suggests that drinking skimmed milk may be even better than sports and electrolyte drinks at promoting rehydration after exercise. Milk naturally contains electrolytes and has been found to promote fluid retention effectively. Furthermore, there are two additional benefits of choosing milk as a recovery drink which have nothing to do with hydration. Milk is a good source of nutrition and particularly carbohydrates which can help replenish glycogen stores depleted from exercise. Dairy protein is also a good source of leucine which is important for building muscle strength and mass. Therefore, drinking milk is a good way to contribute to your recovery nutrition and protein needs after a workout whilst also doing a very good job of rehydrating.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for alternative plant milks as they do not promote hydration any better than water. Plain plant milks are generally low in carbohydrates and although soya milk contains the highest amount of protein among the alternative plant milks, it does not contain a sufficient amount of leucine to promote muscle synthesis. So while plant milks do not contribute to muscle repair nor promote rehydration as effectively as cow’s milk, they can still be used as a fluid alternative to water.
- To rehydrate: choose a drink containing sodium or choose a glass of milk
Lastly, a final reminder that this is some general guidance and that not everyone copes the same way in the same conditions. You may find that you have slightly different limits. As for myself, I know I have higher hydration needs than most even when I am not exercising. The trick is to learn how to respond to your individual hydration needs in different conditions so that you can fully recover and perform at your best. Central to this is being able to recognise when you are fully hydrated. The key to this is in the colour of your wee because if you are sufficiently hydrated then your urine should be a ‘pale straw’ colour or lighter. Ideally, it should also be odourless and plentiful. It is worth saying that some dietary supplements and foods (such as beetroot and blackberries) can affect the colour of your urine. Which means that if you find yourself staring at an alarming neon colour, it may be more to do with your Berocca habit than your actual fluid intake. But if you find that your urine is a darker shade than ‘pale straw’ then you are still dehydrated.
Hopefully, this guidance will work as a reminder that even in the winter months you need to think about hydration. And not all hydration has to be cold. Sometimes after a chilly workout you need something hot to wrap your hands around. Which is why I recommend a big mug of Spiced apple tea latte as the perfect winter pick me up.
