Hydration is a key point when looking for performance (and health) in an athlete. Be aware that the loss of >2% of the body weight lost during training due to sweating is already a risk to health and performance. It is important not to wait until you are thirsty to drink, since in certain training sessions this sensation can be altered by the effort itself (as can the sensation of hunger) and being thirsty can even indicate the beginning of dehydration. Let’s take an example: in a 70kg athlete, this 2% is equivalent to 1.4kg.
Knowing your sweat rate and type of sweat (salty?) you can adapt your water and salt intake to each workout.
To calculate your sweat rate (SR), you only need a scale, to monitor your training time and the volume you ingest during your workout (whether liquid or solid).
You should weigh yourself with as little clothing as possible, both before and after exercise, because clothing soaks up sweat and the value would not be accurate.
Apply the following formula to find out your sweat rate:
TS (h) = (pre weight – post weight) + volume consumed (L) – urine (L) / time (h)
Generally speaking, the amount of urine can be considered 0.3L. It seems more difficult than it is. I recommend that you calculate it for a 1-hour workout, so that you only have to know the weight lost during that hour of training and add the volume of water ingested during the workout. You can do this at different times of the year, depending on the temperature.
If you need help managing your nutrition during your workouts, you can write to me.
