6 Ways Hydration Impacts Your Workout Performance

Although most of us are aware that staying hydrated while exercising is important, we may not know why that is. That’s why we’ve put together this handy list of six workout factors that are impacted by your hydration levels.

1. Joint Protection

Water is a key component of synovial fluid, the liquid that cushions your joints and the vertebrae in your spine. Additionally, these “cushions” are prone to cracking when dehydrated, leading to painful conditions like sciatica or flare ups in symptoms of arthritis.

Some workouts place more stress on your joints than others, especially for beginners. Although this is not inherently a bad thing, it doesn't hurt to keep your joints in mind and drink a little extra water while weightlifting, jogging, or partaking in other forms of high impact exercise.

2. Muscle Function

Water also helps keep your muscles loose and limber, which reduces the risk of workout pains and discomforts like muscle cramping and increases muscle recovery time. The nutrients needed to help your muscles recover and grow after an intense workout are also aided by proper hydration, because of the way proper hydration improves your blood circulation.

3. Endurance

If you’ve ever gone too long without water on a hot day, you’ve probably noticed that dehydration leads to feeling discomfort, fatigue, irritability, nausea, or possibly worse. Likewise, rehydration most likely leads to a rapid improvement of these symptoms.

Going without hydration during a workout is no different than going without hydration on a hot summer day. If you don’t remain properly hydrated, it’s bound to affect your endurance and the length and quality of your workout.

4. Flexibility

We’ve already covered how dehydration can be harmful to your joints, and how proper hydration is important for keeping your muscles pliable. These factors combined can lead to an increase – or loss of – your flexibility.

5. Heart Rate and Body Temperature

When working out, our heart often begins to pump faster and we often begin to sweat. Sweat is our body’s natural way of regulating its own temperature, but it requires plenty of fluids to already be in the body to occur. Overheating during a workout is dangerous! It can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke.

6. Overall Workout Effectiveness

There are many more benefits to drinking fluids before, during, and after working out than we could possibly cover in one list. In addition to the previously mentioned points, there’s the fact that being hydrated improves our focus and ability to concentrate, helps our kidneys “detoxify” our bodies, reduces stress, and regulates blood pressure. Our muscles are comprised of over 70% water, and our organs up to 80%. Even our bones contain around 30% water, and the human body is said to be an average of 60% water overall.

Needless to say, proper hydration is important to our health, especially for those of us who work out or engage in intense physical exercise! Hopefully, this list has helped “exercise” the importance of workout hydration for you and will keep you motivated to drink enough water.