FITNESS: Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to get the water in

BY PAUDIE O'DONOVAN

WATER is the source of life and the most important liquid in our ecosystem. 

We need it to function properly, so over the next three weeks I’m going to talk about our daily intake and what you need when exercising. 

Did you know that nearly two thirds of the human body is made up of water? Science has proven that drinking plenty of water will improve your everyday life. It will make you feel better and give you more energy when consumed with the right foods. It is stated that the daily average intake of water in a man is about 3.5 litres and about 2.7 litres in a woman. That’s seven to eight glasses of water a day. 

I have discovered that after years of training that sometimes after a long session on the bike or a hard routine in the gym if I’m feeling lethargic and I drink a pint of water, within an hour I’m feeling energetic again. It’s the dehydration that’s making me feel fatigued. 

My advice is to drink a pint of water with each meal – but make sure you actually drink it and aren’t pouring half of it down the sink. Water also cleans your body of toxins and assists in your brain activity. The list is endless. If you play a lot of sport whether it’s GAA, rugby or soccer then don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. It’s been scientifically proven that if you lose just 2% of your body weight while taking part in exercise it can decrease your performance by 25%.

And you wonder why you didn’t play well in the second half of the match! If you are thirsty at any point then it’s probably too late. You should be drinking when you are not thirsty. Drinking water is essential if you want to get the most of your workout. So get it in, store it up and don’t get dehydrated.