We all know how important it is to maintain a good hydration state on a daily basis, but what about in the gym?

Normally, when we talk about hydration in sports, we classify it as: hydration before, during and after training. Why? The reason is that the needs of our body are not the same in each of these situations.

The main and most important thing is to emphasize that it is essential that during all year long (although especially in summer) we maintain a good state of hydration, and this is only achieved by drinking enough liquid (natural mineral water as the main source, although we also have natural juices or infusions, among other drinks) as well as fruits and vegetables (which will also provide us with vitamins and minerals) and avoiding liquids with high concentrations of solutes such as sugars and proteins.

Before starting sports, it is important to have an optimal state of hydration that allows us to carry out the activity with all our potential, so we must drink water 30-60 minutes before the start of the activity in order to replace fluids that we will quickly lose with exercise and sweat.

Once we are fully active practicing sports, we must continue hydrating. In general, it is advisable to simply drink water during the entire time you are training, whether it is aerobic or anaerobic exercise. If we are also doing a high intensity activity, we can opt for an isotonic drink that, in addition to water, provides us with a greater content of the minerals that we have lost. It is advisable to drink small amounts of liquid (200-300ml) often, for example every 15-20 minutes.

When choosing the water that we are going to consume before, during and after our sports routine, we must look at the amount of minerals it contains. Balanced natural mineral water provides a significant supply of key minerals for the body, such as calcium and magnesium. In addition, it is usually low in sodium (you can see it on the label as suitable water for diets low in sodium) and 100% intact, that is, direct water from the spring to the bottle without any treatment.

It is very important to bear in mind that if we weigh ourselves before and after performing the exercise, we are going to verify that we have lost weight, but let’s not be fooled by the scale, a high percentage of what we have lost is due to Water! For this reason, it is recommended to replace 1 glass of water for every kilogram lost.

With so much recommendation to drink water, we could ask ourselves, is the water I drink going to make me fat? The answer is NO, water does not contain calories or fat , so it will never be a substance that makes us fat or gives us energy. The only thing it gives us are mineral salts, which are necessary if what we want is to recover the minerals that we lose through sweat when we exercise.

Hydration and a good diet will be key for optimal performance. Font Vella, being a balanced natural mineral water, with 0% impurities and indicated for diets low in sodium, is your ally before, during and after your training. Remember to take your bottle of water to the gym, it will help you feel better!