Hydration: When water isn’t enough

Fluid dynamics. Staying hydrated is crucial for peak performance, but how do you stay dialed in?

The problem: Your body is about 60% water, and maintaining that balance is essential for everything from regulating body temperature to keeping your brain sharp. Yet over half of professional, collegiate, and high school athletes arrive for workouts dehydrated.

“If you’re not drinking what your body needs, you’re at a competitive disadvantage,” says Stefan van der Fluit, CEO and co-founder of FLOWBIO. Beyond training, van der Fluit says poor hydration leaves him feeling depleted, impacting his performance across all areas of life.

Sweat the small stuff

When you sweat, you’re not just losing water. You’re also losing electrolytes — essential minerals that play a critical role in your body’s functions. This is especially true during prolonged, strenuous workouts or outdoor exercise in the heat.

“Electrolytes are essential for water retention, healthy blood pressure, nerve signaling and muscle contraction. They include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium,” explains nutrition expert Sarah Wragge.

Power up. Replenishing electrolytes, brands like Cadence, LMNT, and Magna are part of a growing trend to optimize hydration.

Situational sipping

For most people, eating a balanced diet and drinking water will suffice. So, hydration drinks should be situational, not necessarily a daily staple. With high salt intake and blood pressure issues common in the US, nutritionists caution against excess electrolyte supplementation.

How much is enough? If you’ve pushed yourself in hot conditions, one or two electrolyte drinks are a good idea, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you’re still thirsty, go back to water.

Wragge advises, “Upping your intake of electrolytes after a workout will enhance your recovery as you’ll be replacing what you’ve lost — especially sodium and chloride, which you lose when sweating.”

Get the data. To remove the guesswork, brands like FLOWBIO and Nix offer personalized sweat analysis, while Precision Fuel & Hydration offers sweat tests to measure sodium loss, and Apple explores wearable perspiration measuring technology.

The bottom line

Smart hydration fuels optimal performance. Water wins for everyday, but intense sweat sessions in hot conditions might call for an electrolyte boost. Listen to your body, sip wisely — and if you can, get the data so you know what works for you.