Staying Hydrated in Summer

Staying well hydrated in summer can be a challenge.

We're sure you know it's necessary to drink enough in summer. A general recommendation is about 30ml of liquid per kg of bodyweight per day. At 96 kg that means I need to drink about 3l of water. However this varies according to the season and the individual so a better recommendation is: drink when you feel thirsty.

However, working out in the heat and humidity of a Japanese summer is going to cause you to sweat a lot. Have you noticed this recently? Your thirst reflex can be delayed in relation to the amount of fluid you need so it's a good idea to drink before, during and after the WOD.

Plain water doesn't cut it. Even though the natural well water at CrossFit Kyoto has great mineral content it isn't going to be enough to replace all the salt you lose from sweating.

Here are a few tips for different rehydration drinks: 

Try and add: 
- a pinch of salt or a little ume vinegar or umeboshi; 
- fresh lemon or apple cider vinegar; 
- mint (leaves or mint essential oil).

Any of these go well with a little honey and they all help the body absorb the water better. 

We don't recommend the sports drinks you can buy for the simple reason that almost all of them contain high fructose corn syrup, a degenerate sugar that should be avoided at all costs (look for a future post about this food additive).

(Let's remember to avoid bottled water because of the micro plastic, carry our own metal / ceramic bottle and refill it from the well water tap outside - cheaper, good for the environment AND healthier for all of us).

Sweat well and stay cool throughout August and September!