The primary situations the place it’s best to swig an electrolyte bevvy contain pumping out a ton of sweat: You’re completely drenched out of your time within the solar, you’ve been bodily lively and sweating for greater than a pair hours straight, otherwise you’re spending consecutive days exterior in a warmth wave (howdy, competition season). At this fee, you’re more likely to have an actual electrolyte deficit, and filling that hole may assist your physique take up the fluids you’re ingesting and rehydrate extra successfully.
You may also wish to sub an electrolyte drink for water if you happen to’re a salty sweater, says Dr. Pryor, which suggests you lose greater than the typical quantity of sodium when perspiring. (This may additionally occur whereas your physique is adjusting to the warmth initially of the summer season, she provides.) That is likely to be you if you happen to discover white, crusty strains in your arms, legs, or garments once you get sizzling, particularly after train; or your sweat tastes super-salty or stings your eyes.
5. Eat one thing salty (whereas ingesting water).
Counteracting a few of that important sodium misplaced to sweat might be so simple as munching on pretzels, peanuts, popcorn, or string cheese. Actually, a 2010 assessment of research assessing hydration standing in professional athletes famous that plain water can enable for “efficient” restoration post-exercise as long as you mix it with salty meals. To not point out, these snacks “can even enhance your hydration by encouraging you to drink extra water,” Dr. Pryor says.
Additionally, if you happen to’re craving any of those meals whereas experiencing an actual scorcher of a day, that could possibly be one other signal that you simply’re a salty sweater, Dr. Pryor provides, and it’s in your greatest curiosity, hydration-wise, to fulfill these wishes.
6. Munch on watermelon, cucumber, or every other water-rich meals.
There’s a purpose watermelon might be so dang interesting on a steamy day: It’s roughly 92% water, Manaker says. And any liquid you absorb from consuming a slice or two actually counts towards your general hydration, serving to you replenish misplaced fluids extra rapidly (and extra deliciously!) than simply sipping water alone.
The identical factor applies to different meals with excessive water content material, Manaker says—like cucumber, celery, cantaloupe, and tomatoes, for starters. Pair any of them with a salty topper or dip (say, hummus or peanut butter), and also you’ll have a hydration-electrolyte one-two punch.
7. Nix the alcohol and caffeine.
An annoying reality: Good rehydration requires avoiding the issues that dehydrate you, too—like these two substances, Dr. Pryor says, each of which may act as diuretics, turning fluid in your physique into pee extra quickly. That does not imply you must surrender frozé or iced lattés fully this summer season. However if you happen to’re out within the solar, and you are feeling such as you’re overheating, it’s a good suggestion to put aside something alcoholic or caffeinated and swap in one other drink as a substitute. (For those who go for a mocktail, simply preserve an eye fixed out for the sugar, Manaker says, which may pull water into your GI tract, resulting in additional dehydration.)
By way of the booze, limiting your whole variety of drinks (no multiple or two a day is an efficient benchmark for most individuals) can even enable you preserve your psychological readability, Manaker says, which is essential for noticing once you is likely to be creeping towards warmth sickness—and taking motion to rehydrate your self—within the first place.
A phrase of warning: For those who’ve completed the whole lot on this record, and also you’re nonetheless feeling unwell after about an hour (say, you’re actually lightheaded or your cramps aren’t letting up), or you may’t preserve fluids down, that may imply you’re not rehydrating rapidly sufficient, and it’s best to search medical consideration. In any other case, following the above recommendation to get again to a wholesome hydration baseline will enable you take the warmth in stride this summer season.
Associated: