08 nov Water: the ultimate stimulant
Dehydration often occurs during exercise. Do you think it is of any importance to drink enough fluids in order to complete your training? How do you know whether you drink enough? And what should you actually drink? To start with the last question: water! English researchers even say that if drink water, you feel more energetic after all your efforts. They even call water a stimulant. Did you ever imagine water was a ‘drug’?
Sufficient drinking is very important for good performances in the gym or on the pitch. Former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek once told us how he knew he had enough fluid in his body to handle an exhausting match. As soon his urine was almost colorless, the level of moisture in his body was high enough. If you do sports yourself, you have probably experienced that you can get thirsty during the exercise. The moment that happens, your moisture level is already too low. So before you start your training, you should have drunk enough. Half a liter of water is good. For a good recovery your body needs one and a half times as much fluid as you lose by sweating. If you do sport for more than an hour, it is important to keep drinking water while you exercise.
Energy drinks and protein shakes
If you do a lot of endurance training, energy drinks can help you. During a long training not only the moisture level in your body should stay okay. Also the salt level must stay high enough. Energy drinks help you provide that extra salt. Many athletes drink protein shakes after their strength training. These shakes contain proteins that help you recover and strengthen your muscles. Don’t forget: everybody needs to consume enough proteins every day. It is best to consume enough proteins during all your meals and not just a huge amount of proteins in one meal.
More fun
Let’s go back to the water. Researchers have shown that water helps burning fats and increases the release of the growth hormone. Also water keeps your cortisol level in balance. That is important, because an increased cortisol level causes muscle breakdown. Also interesting is their finding that people who drink water while exercising feel more energetic. The subjects in the study indicated that they enjoyed their exercise more than people who didn’t drink water. So you know what you have to do next time you visit our gym!