Exercise and Water (Part 1)

Many people sweat a lot when doing exercises. This is because sweat evaporation helps lower body temperature and maintain normal body function. Insufficient water replenishment can cause dehydration. On the contrary, excessive water intake will decrease blood sodium level, causing hyponatremia. Although office exercises are generally time-limited and less vigorous, water replenishment is still necessary. The health information in this issue will introduce the amount of water to be replenished before, during and after exercise for our readers’ reference.

Before Exercise

Objective: To maintain sufficient water level in body Slowly drink 480 to 600 ml of water at least 4 hours before exercise. Water is generally the best choice.

During Exercise

Objective: To maintain body water balance and prevent dehydration When doing an exercise for less than 60 minutes, drink 90-240 ml of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Generally, water is the best choice. During the exercise, do not drink over 1 litre of water within an hour.

After Exercise

Objective: To fully replenish the water and sodium lost through sweating Compare body weights between pre- and post-exercise periods (Deducting post-exercise period body weight from that of the pre-exercise period). Weight loss is usually caused by water loss. It is recommended to gradually replenish the water (and electrolyte) lost over a period of time, but not to drink a large amount of water at a time.

　　Regardless of whether we do exercises at work or after work, water replenishment is still of vital importance. We should not ignore water replenishment just because of the shorter duration and lesser intensity of doing exercises in office. The health information in our next issue will continue to introduce other details on exercise and water.