MILAN – The hydration of the body varies from person to person; it depends on the environment in which we live and the activities we engage in. Together with adequate hydration and a healthy diet to improve our quality of life, regular physical activity also makes a contribution. The American portal, Health.com explains how we can best reconcile hydration, diet and physical exercise.

Little experiments

Robert Huggins, a PhD researcher from the University of Connecticut explained: “The need for fluids is dynamic and must be tailored to the individual. Factors such as gender, environmental conditions, the level of acclimatization, physical exercise, intensity of work, age and also diet, must be taken into consideration”. To measure how much water must be consumed during physical exercise, Prof. Huggins advises us all to do some little experiments. Before engaging in physical activity, weigh yourself without clothes. Try to measure the amount of water you drink while you are training, after which you can weigh yourself again. The difference in weight before and after exercise, looking at the measurements, is converted into liters. The result will be the amount of water you should consume to rehydrate yourself.

Food can help

Physical activity, particularly in competitive sport, requires high water intake. In this case, food can also prove useful after training (hydrating foods). Foods like tomatoes, peppers, watermelons and many others contain a very high percentage of water and can help our bodies stay constantly hydrated, even after physical activity. This is essential for personal wellbeing and to preserve a high quality of life.

by editorial staff