Water, sweat and heat
How much to drink, how to check your sweat loss, and how to train safely in Indian heat.
2 min read
Start training well hydrated, and drink enough during long or hot sessions to avoid losing more than 2% of your body weight.
Daily water, from all drinks and food
- Men2.5 L
- Women2.0 L
2% of body weight
lost as sweat is where performance starts to suffer[1]
Check your sweat loss
- Weigh before. Light clothes, after using the toilet.
- Train. Note how much you drink.
- Weigh after. Towel off first.
- Compare. A 70 kg person should lose under 1.4 kg. More than that? Drink more next time.
Signs you are fine
- Pale yellow urine
Signs to drink more
- Dark urine, or very little of it
- Headache or dizziness after training
Long sessions in heat lose salt as well as water. Salted food, lassi or chaas after training helps replace it.
Training in heat
- Train in the cooler hours, early morning or evening
- Lower the pace or the load on very hot, humid days
- Drink before, during and after long sessions
Stop, get into shade and cool down
- Dizziness, nausea or a pounding headache
- Confusion, or skin that feels hot while sweating stops
- Get medical help at once if these do not ease quickly
Key points
- Losing more than 2% of body weight in sweat starts to hurt performance.
- Weigh before and after a session to learn your own sweat loss.
- In heat, train in cooler hours, slow down, and stop and cool down if you feel unwell.
Up next
- Carbs, fibre and fats: Back to the plate: which carbs and fats to choose.
Sources
- [1] Sawka MN et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39(2):377-390.
- [2] EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for water. EFSA Journal 2010;8(3):1459.
General information from published guidelines, not medical advice, and not reviewed by a clinician. See a doctor for pain, illness, pregnancy or before hard training if you have a condition.