As a nutritionist, I constantly see clients who do not drink enough. Whether in everyday life or during physical activities, it is essential to have a bottle of water at hand. The drinkers are convenience stores, but it is rather rare that you can drink 1.5 to 2 liters in a day.
HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS FOR REST?
In order to establish the water requirements of a sedentary individual, the calculation is simple. The average target is 1ml per calorie. Depending on energy needs, an adult rarely needs less than 1500 calories a day so 1500 ml of liquids is the minimum daily target.
WATER OF SPORTS DRINK?
When I talk about liquids, of course I first and foremost prioritize unsweetened beverages such as water, tea and herbal tea. However, it all depends on the circumstances, because with the effort, a sweet drink with electrolytes may become necessary.
In order to determine whether to substitute our water bottle for an energy drink, remember this; for any effort of less than 90 minutes, the water is sufficient. Beyond 90 minutes of sustained effort, it is advantageous to drink a drink like a Gatorade. Again, beware of G2 type drinks that do not offer enough carbohydrates due to the presence of sweeteners (fake sugars).
Here is a table that will allow you to plan the composition of your drink with the effort:
WHAT QUANTITY SHOULD I DRINK WITH EFFORT
Now that we have determined the composition according to the context, know that we don’t want to wait to be thirsty. The goal is to hydrate continuously throughout the effort by aiming for an intake of 150 to 300 ml every 15 to 20 minutes. This corresponds to more or less 4 sips. If you wait too long and drink a large amount at once, it is risky to have digestive discomfort and cramps since the stomach will not be able to absorb the whole.
Julie Lapointe-Larente
Julie.Lapointe-Larente@loblaw.ca
Nutritionist
