Body · Nutrition basics
Hydration
The short version
There's no one perfect water target for everyone.
Drink regularly, more when it's hot or you're sweating a lot, and use thirst as a guide.
The full version
Needs vary
How much fluid you need depends on body size, environment, how much you sweat, how active you are, your training, your diet (food contains water too) and individual circumstances. A universal "drink X litres" rule doesn't fit everybody.
Training and heat
Harder training, longer sessions and hot environments increase fluid needs. Going into a session already reasonably hydrated, and drinking during long or sweaty work, helps performance and how you feel.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes like sodium can be useful in long, hot or very sweaty sessions, or for sport like a full AFL game. They're not mandatory for every 45-minute gym session — water and normal meals usually cover it.
What actually matters
Drink regularly through the day, a bit more around training and in the heat. Thirst and pale-yellow urine are reasonable guides for most people.
Key takeaways
- 01No universal target
- 02More with heat, sweat and long sessions
- 03Electrolytes help in some situations
- 04Thirst is a useful signal
Related
RELATEDView sources
Sources are being reviewed and will be added here. We'd rather list nothing than list something we haven't checked.