MILAN - You know the feeling when you have a dry throat and you desperately need a drink of water? We imagine this feeling is very common and there is a consensus among experts that we should not get to this point - the fact that the body sends these signals means that you have not maintained a sufficient level of hydration. So how much liquid should you consume every day? The Runtastic app, which has gained popularity with runners, helps you to calculate the right amount.
The calculation
The app uses a simple mathematical calculation: 30ml x kg of body weight = ml per day. Daily intake, however, depends on your needs and lifestyle and can vary from 25 to 40 ml per Kg of body weight. Remember that even foods such as melons, cucumbers, soups and stews contain large amounts of liquids. A man weighing 85 kg would need about 2 and a half litres of water per day, with no physical activity. Ideally, you should drink between 1.5 to 3 litres per day, although it would be better to drink regularly throughout the course of the day, since our intestines cannot absorb more than 200 ml every 15 minutes.
What happens if you exercise
If you exercise for an hour or more then things change and additional water is recommended:
- 0.5 litres of water for moderate intensity exercise lasting one hour
- 1 litre of water for high intensity exercise lasting one hour
- 0.5 litres for extreme intensity exercise, for every hour of activity
In addition to these quantities, you should remember to add further amounts if temperatures rise or you go up in altitude.
How much should you drink before a race or workout
This is a sore point and unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all answer. If you want to find out what is best for you, just follow these simple guidelines: stand on the scales to weigh yourself without any clothing before a race or workout. Once you’ve finished your workout, weigh yourself again and subtract the final weight from the initial weight and, if you drank water during the workout, subtract this value as well.
The result will be the amount of fluids you have lost (litres of sweat = weight difference in Kg). After this, simply multiply this value by 1.5 and you will have the amount of fluids that you need to consume.
by Salvatore Galeone
March 9, 2017
credits: fotolia
