1. Drink water throughout the day
2. Set reminders to drink - before you're thirsty
3. Drink fluids with small amounts of carbohydrate and electrolytes
4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol
5. Eat consistent meals - foods with high water content
6. Avoid drinks with high sugar and/or sodium content
Hydration is crucial for protecting you from heat illness. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reported that well hydrated men consume roughly 3.7 liters and women 2.7 liters of fluids per day. Roughly 20% of fluid intake comes from food, so men should aim to drink 3 liters and women ~2.2 liters. However, humans who are minimally active in heat can require an additional 2-4 liters of fluids and those who are highly active need 4-10 liters per day. As you can see, a strategy to maintain fluid intake is needed, especially during warm days.
Sweating is our body's response to when body temperature rises during physical activity in the heat. The evaporation of sweat prevents a big increase in body temperature. However, continuous sweating in the heat will reduce your body's ability to control temperature. When this happens, the risk of heat illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke increases. Hydrating before, during, and after prolonged heat exposure preserves your ability to regulate body temperature. Below are important hydration strategies to keep you safe.
1. Drink water
Consistent water consumption is key to maintaining optimal hydration. The goal should be to replace fluids lost through sweat. Water is ideal because it is easily absorb from the gastrointestinal tract. Estimates suggest that people working in the heat should drink roughly 1 cup (8 oz.) of water every 20 minutes.
2. Set reminders to drink
Drinking early and often is important. If you wait until you're thirty then it's too late. Setting a reminder every 20 minutes to drink is a great way to consistently consumer fluids even if you don't feel thirsty. In addition, these reminders can help you to take time and rest from any strenuous work.
3. Drink fluids with small amounts of carbohydrate and electrolytes
Many sports drinks and hydration supplements are comprised of both carbohydrate and electrolytes in various amounts. Many of these have been scientifically tested to support hydration. Drinking a beverage that contains some carbohydrate and electrolytes can provide a few advantages. First, carbohydrate especially helps with water absorption from the intestines. Sodium can also assist with water absorption; however, evidence suggests that carbohydrate is superior to help with hydration. What is important, is that your beverage is hypotonic, which means that it has a lower number of solutes than your body. This helps to move water from your gut into your body. Second, adding carbohydrate and electrolytes enhances flavor which will likely lead to drinking more.
4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Let's start with caffeine. It increase urine production, so you're excreting fluid volume. This necessarily won't impact you much if you replace those fluids with other beverages. However, try to avoid excessive caffeine consumption such as energy drinks or other drinks that are dosed with caffeine. Alcohol is a potent diuretic that increases urine production. The combination of heat exposure and alcohol can put someone at risk for heat illness. Be aware of your alcohol intake during hot days and also in the evening. Daily alcohol consumption should not exceed 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women.
5. Eat consistent meals that contain high water content
Eating consistently offers several hydration advantages. First, food can restore electrolytes that are lost in our sweat. Typically, you do not need to drink beverages with high sodium levels if you are consistently eating as your meals replace lost sodium, potassium, and chloride. However, if you're not eating enough then consider beverages with higher sodium. Second, nearly 20% of our fluid intake comes from food. This can increase if you eat foods with high water content, which includes many fruits. Third, eating will restore energy levels and prevent fatigue.
6. Avoid drinks with high sugar and sodium content
Drinking beverages with high sugar content will help restore water levels. However, consistent high sugar intake is linked to metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes. If possible, it's better to choose lower sugar drinks. Also avoiding high sodium drinks and salt tables is important. As mentioned previously, we can restore lost sodium from sweating through our daily diet. In addition, high sodium content can cause intestinal discomfort and result in more water loss.
Zuul Hydration provides hydration along with other benefits
Water intake is paramount to any hydration strategy. However, another strategy that can be added to your daily water intake includes drinking functional drinks that offer hydration and other benefits to help you combat heat stress. Zuul Hydration is designed and tested to support hydration, but also protect your gut during heat exposure. This has been shown to improve levels fatigue and prevent damage to gut during prolonged heat stress. Zuul Hydration is not a replacement for water, but should be consumed in addition to water.
Conclusion
A daily hydration plan can help protect you during hot days. Whether you're working in the heat, exercising, or enjoying the outdoors having a strategy will keep you safe.