Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably familiar with the virtually endless benefits of staying hydrated. But as a quick reminder, adequate hydration helps your body regulate temperature, lubricate joints, protect the spinal cord, prevent tissue damage and aid in waste elimination. Water also benefits your skin, keeps you energized, supports brain function and allows your body to operate at its greatest capacity. Simply put: drinking enough water is essential to overall health and wellness, especially for serious athletes.

If you’re a fitness junkie, you might be wondering, “How much water should I drink a day?” By following a few simple guidelines, you can stay at the top of your hydration game, ensuring your fluid intake meets your daily needs.

What’s the Right Amount of Water?

When it comes to hydration, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for how much water you should drink per day. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, women should aim for 90 ounces daily, and men should shoot for 125 ounces per day. These recommendations are based on averages and are meant to reflect the needs of healthy adults in temperate climates.

Pro athletes, bodybuilders, runners, cyclists, hikers, rock climbers, gym rats, HIIT enthusiasts and all other dedicated exercisers require more water than the average person. A 2018 study by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concludes that tailoring fluid intake to an athlete’s needs can “improve anaerobic power, attention and awareness and heart rate recovery time.” So, if you work out regularly, drinking enough fluids is crucial. According to E. Randy Eichner, M.D. with The Sports Institute at UW Medicine, athletes may need to drink an additional 16 to 32 ounces of water for every hour they exercise.

Stay Hydrated Before, During and After a Workout

If you have trouble remembering to drink water or get bored with plain H2O, we’ve got some helpful tips to up your daily fluid intake:

• Download a water reminder app on your phone
• Keep a water bottle with you at all times
• Get a reusable water bottle that you enjoy drinking from
• Purchase reusable straws
• Add fresh or frozen fruit to your water
• Supplement with sports and energy drinks

Caffeinated drinks, including sports and energy drinks, count toward your daily fluid intake goal. According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, beverages other than regular H2O work just as well to hydrate the body. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine found that “consuming beverages containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can provide benefits over water alone.” 

But it’s not just about staying hydrated while exercising. If you’re a committed athlete, you’ve got to replenish before, during and after a workout. At Boneafide Nutrition, we have pre-workout drinks designed to power you through even the toughest exercise routines. We also carry beverages you can drink during and after a sweat session, including supplements with science-backed ingredients and muscle-recovery formulas.

To take your daily hydration up a notch, shop our collection today! And if you've got questions about the best way to stay hydrated during a killer workout, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages to ask us.

Thanks for reading,

Zo and Bryce