Did you know that as soon as you feel thirsty, your body is already showing signs of mild dehydration? Water not only supplies energy but also makes up the majority of living organisms by weight, and the effects of dehydration set in much quicker than deficiencies of other nutrients. Because it is so crucial for our bodies, even a loss of just 2-3% of body weight as water can cause visible declines in performance—even manifesting as fatigue or headaches. As more water is lost, it can have a bigger impact on how well your body functions and how well you perform while exercising. 

Every liter of water lost can increase heart rate by as much as 8 bpm and core body temperature by 0.3°C, both signs that your body is working harder than it should to carry out its standard functions. This makes it even more important to drink enough water before you feel thirsty to keep your body hydrated and healthy.

To best support your body, research supports that ingesting fluid within an hour of exercise can result in slightly lower core body temperature and heart rate at the onset and duration of exercise. For performance athletes, it's recommended to consume 400-600ml of water or water-based fluid about two hours prior to activity—larger or sweatier athletes should experiment with a higher consumption. For endurance athletes or long-distance runners, aim for 5-12oz of fluid per 15-20 minutes, or seek the assistance of electrolyte-enhanced beverages to help support healthy hydration. 

True Electrolytes contain the optimal ratio of electrolytes:  1g of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium for optimal cell and nerve functionality. Enjoy a scoop on training days, or whenever you need a boost of hydration.