Exercise and Fluids - The Right Balance

Many people who do regular exercise have worked out for themselves the best times to eat, what to eat and how much to eat to work in with their workout schedule. However, the intake of fluids is sometimes overlooked and many of us rely on our thirst mechanism to tell us when and how much to drink.

Relying on this mechanism may not be sufficient, especially for those on heavy regimens or very regular exercise routines. By the time that the thirst mechanism has kicked in we may have lost up to 1 litre of fluid. This will not only have an impact on performance but another major reason for sweating - to keep the body's temperature down.

The amount of sweat produced by the body in an effort to keep the body cool will vary with environmental conditions. If it is hot and humid the amount of fluid that can be lost through sweating can reach up to 2