How To Stay Hydrated: Benefits And Top Tips

Importance Of Staying Hydrated | Benefits | How To Stay Hydrated | Tips | How Much Water | FAQs

Page last updated: 4th September 2024

Everyone knows how important it is to stay hydrated, but why it's so important, and how to stay hydrated, is less common knowledge.

Water makes up around two thirds of our bodies and contributes to our overall health and function. It protects the brain, organs, and nervous system, helps with digestion, fuels the muscles, lubricates the joints, and can even help to avoid wrinkles.

Being dehydrated can have many negative short- and long-term effects, including kidney dysfunction, high cholesterol, digestive issues, and fatigue.

Even at mild levels, dehydration can have a significant impact on how we feel, from causing headaches to reducing workout performance.

In this blog, we'll look at the role hydration plays in our day to day lives and how to ensure you stay hydrated.

Why Is Staying Hydrated Important?

Water is essential for nearly every body function, from regulating your body temperature to removing waste. Staying hydrated ensures your body can work as it should, ensuring your muscles and organs get the nutrients they need to keep your body in homeostasis.

Staying hydrated also helps the body to fuel for, and recover from, exercise. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, and fatigue when working out, and prevent the muscles from recovering effectively afterwards. Take a look at our guide to staying hydrated during exercise for more information.

The Main Benefits Of Staying Hydrated

There are almost endless benefits to staying hydrated. Some of the key benefits include:

Staying Well Hydrated Improves Brain Performance

Dehydration has been shown to negatively impact cognitive performance, and increase risk of metabolic and renal diseases.

Around 75% of our brain is made up of water, so it's no surprise that staying dehydration can affect brain performance. Glucose is the brain's main source of energy, but when our cells are dehydrated, they're unable to absorb and use glucose efficiently. This can result in brain fog, fatigue, poor memory, and more. Staying hydrated ensures our brains can function as they should, improving cognitive performance.

It Improves Physical performance

It’s not just our brains that perform better when we are hydrated. Hydration helps to regulate the body temperature, deliver nutrients to our muscles, lubricate joints, and ensure the body can use glucose for energy, all of which boosts energy and physical performance. Staying hydrated can also help to reduce cramps and fatigue, both which can impact workouts.

Aids Digestion

Water helps to prevent constipation and keep the digestive system running smoothly, helping with the breakdown of food, absorption of nutrients, and removal of waste.

Promotes Healthier Skin

There's a lot of debate around whether water directly promotes healthier skin. However, one study did suggest a connection between hydration and skin health. Specifically, researchers found that in individuals with low daily water consumption - those who were already somewhat dehydrated - increasing water intake had a positive effect on skin appearance and helped maintain better skin hydration levels.

Supports Your Immune Function

Hydration is crucial for flushing out toxins and ensuring your cells can function optimally, which supports a strong immune system. As Dr. Jyothi of UCLA mentions states: "Water is vital for the functioning of all of your organs, and it's a huge part of keeping your immune system functioning at an optimal level."

What Is The Best Way To Stay Hydrated?

The best way to stay hydrated is through consistent water intake throughout the day. Sipping water regularly, rather than drinking large amounts in one go once or twice a day, is key. You should also aim to drink before you feel thirsty, as thirst is a sign of dehydration. Get into the habit of having water with your meals and throughout the day rather than relying on thirst as a guide.

Plain water is ideal but if you struggle to drink water, herbal teas or flavoured water are great options. You can also try adding fruit into your water for more flavour. If it's hot or you are exercising intensely, you may want to consider a sports drink to replenish electrolytes lost through sweating. Many of our gyms have sports water stations that you can take advantage of when you're working out.

5 Quick And Easy Tips For Staying Hydrated

Now you know why it’s important to stay hydrated, here’s how to make sure you stay topped up.

1. **Don't wait until you feel thirsty to have a drink.** Waiting until you’re thirsty before drinking can mean you’re already dehydrated. Invest in a decent water bottle that you can keep with you at all times so you can drink water regularly throughout the day.
2. **Add natural flavour by adding fresh fruit to tap water.** If you struggle to drink water because of the taste, try adding fruit to your bottle. Frozen slices of lemon or lime work great, as does melon, berries, pineapple, cucumber, fresh mint, basil or fresh ginger.
3. **Set a water reminder.** If you're someone who forgets to drink, set an hourly alarm on your phone to ensure you drink throughout the day. You can also pair drinking water with actions such as checking social media to help create a regular habit.
4. **Drink before you eat.** Drinking a large glass of water before you eat helps to keep you hydrated, aid digestion, and reduce the chance of over-eating.
5. **If you're exercising, drink plenty earlier in the day.** Drinking water regularly before your workout will reduce the risk of dehydration and help with your performance during the workout.

How Much Water Is Enough To Stay Hydrated?

We tend to get around 20% of our daily water requirements through eating, particularly from fruit and vegetables which have high water content, but we need to drink the final 80%. 

The current recommendations for fluid intake is around six to eight glasses of water a day, but your exact needs can differ depending on temperature, activity, what you've eaten, and more.

If you are working out, you need to drink enough water to replace fluid lost in addition to your daily water requirements. A good rule of thumb is to drink 5-7ml of fluid per kg of body weight in the three to four hours leading up to your workout. For more strenuous exercise lasting over an hour, an isotonic drink solution will help replace sodium and other electrolytes to keep you hydrated. You can even make your own sports drink - simply mix 250ml of ordinary squash or 200ml high juice squash (not sugar-free or low-calorie) with 750-800 ml of cold water and add ¼ teaspoon of salt.

One of the most reliable ways to ensure you're drinking enough water is to check the colour of your urine.  The goal is to maintain a nice pale yellow colour throughout the day. If it's strong in colour or smell, your body is probably starting to get dehydrated so have a glass of water and within 20-30 minutes, you'll feel the physical and mental benefits.

Does Alcohol Keep You Hydrated?

Although alcohol is a liquid, it is a strong diuretic which means it increases the production of urine and can cause or worsen dehydration, in addition to multiple other negative affects such as risk of stroke and heart disease, weight gain, and more.

To reduce the risks of drinking alcohol, you can:

• Drink 1-2 big glasses of water before you start drinking to ensure you start off hydrated.

• Eat around 1-2 hours before drinking to slow down the absorption of alcohol.

• Stick to drinking less than 14 units per week, spread over at least three days. This equates to 1.5 bottles of wine or 5 pints of 5% ABV lager per week. This 14-unit threshold is the same for both sexes.

• Stick to small servings such as a single measure of spirit or a small glass of wine and dilute them down with soda water to last longer.

• Alternate drinking one glass of water or soft drink with every alcoholic drink to keep hydrated and reduce calories.

Do Tea And Coffee Keep You Hydrated?

Tea and coffee can help to keep you hydrated in moderate doses, but we'd recommend only including one cup a day towards your hydration goals.

This is because both drinks contain caffeine which can have diuretic effects in large doses, as well as some negative mental side effects like disrupted sleep and anxiety. It is recommended to have no more than 400mg of caffeine a day to prevent these side effects.

To help, here's a guide to the caffeine content of some popular drinks:

• One mug of instant coffee: 100mg
• One mug of filter coffee: 140mg
• One mug of tea: 75mg
• One can of cola: 40mg
• One can of energy drink: up to 80mg

FAQs

• Does staying hydrated reduce sweat?
  Staying hydrated doesn’t directly reduce sweat, but it helps your body cool down more efficiently. When you're well-hydrated, your body can sweat effectively to regulate temperature, which is especially important during exercise or in hot weather.
• What are the best drinks for staying hydrated?
  Water is the best option, but you can mix it up with herbal teas, coconut water, or diluted fruit juices. For intense exercises, like [HIIT](https://www.puregym.com/blog/hiit-workouts/), [sprints](https://www.puregym.com/blog/5-of-the-best-sprint-workouts-to-improve-speed/) or long sessions at the gym, an electrolyte drink might be beneficial. Avoid sugary drinks as they can dehydrate you.
• Can staying hydrated help you lose weight?
  Drinking water is a great way to reduce hunger cravings and also burn calories. That said, just drinking water will not necessarily help you lose weight. You'd need to combine this with a healthy diet and a [consistent fitness plan](https://www.puregym.com/blog/free-workout-plan-templates/) to get the best results.
• How do you stay hydrated when sick?
  If you’re fighting off a cold or an illness, sip water regularly and try warm fluids like herbal teas or broths. If you’re struggling to drink enough, ice lollies or hydrating fruits like watermelon can help. Electrolyte drinks are also useful, especially if you're losing fluids from vomiting or diarrhoea.
• How much do you need to drink when running a marathon?
  Drink water consistently in the days leading up to the marathon. On race day, start hydrating early, and take small sips of water or an electrolyte drink at regular intervals throughout the run. Post-race, replenish fluids and electrolytes gradually. For more information, take a look at our [full marathon training plan](https://www.puregym.com/blog/full-marathon-training-plan/) and our [beginners guide to marathons](https://www.puregym.com/blog/marathon-training-plan-for-total-beginners/), as well as our [marathon training diet advice](https://www.puregym.com/blog/what-to-eat-marathon-training/).
• Can you stay hydrated with electrolytes?
  Electrolyte drinks can be pretty helpful after intense workouts or in hot weather when you lose more than just water through sweat. You can also get electrolytes from foods like bananas, avocados, and yoghurt. Choose drinks with balanced electrolytes and low sugar.
• What’s the best way to stay hydrated in hot weather?
  In hot weather, drink water regularly and avoid waiting until you’re thirsty. Eat hydrating and electrolyte friendly foods mentioned above (cucumber, watermelon, and citrus fruits are also great options). Stay in the shade or in a cool spot indoors when possible.

Looking for more wellbeing tips?

If you're looking for more wellbeing tips, check out all our tips on how to eat and sleep better, and sneak more movement into your life on our wellbeing page. Alternatively, you can also learn more about how to diet correctly based on your fitness goals and what foods are great for a post-gym workout.