While there is a more precise answer to this question depending on the type of exercise, duration of exercise, climate etc…The rule of thumb for general hydration, not including exercise is half of your body weight in pounds should be consumed in ounces of water. So, for a 150 pound person, 75 ounces of water should be consumed in a day.
If you work out you need to replace the water that was lost through sweat with water. An accurate way to do this is to weigh yourself before and after your workout to determine how much water you lost in pounds. Now, let’s get real for a minute…who is going to do this? Not me. My recommendation is to pay attention to the color of your urine. It should be the color of pale lemonade. This would be an indicator that you are hydrated. For exercise that is longer then an hour in duration an electrolyte replacement may be necessary due to the loss of electrolytes in the sweat. Drink up!
Melissa Gerharter MS, RD is co-owner of Joust Strength and Fitness of Ann Arbor, joustfitness.com. She is also a personal trainer and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University. She can be reached at Melissa@joustfitness.com
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