Best And Worst Ways To Hydrate Your Summer Workout

According to a new report from the CDC, nearly 6,000 people will go to the emergency room this summer for heat illnesses related to sports and exercise. Dehydration is a major culprit of these ER visits, and it's also easily preventable.

We spoke to top nutritionists to find out the best and worst ways to hydrate if you're planning on outdoor exercise. Of course, the number one choice is plain water -- our experts recommend aiming for 20 ounces two hours before a workout --but if you're looking to mix things up a bit, here are some good options, along with some ones to avoid.

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GOOD: Coconut Water

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"It's kind of hot right now," says Jackie Newgent, RD, an N.Y.C.-based nutritionist. "It has a lot of electrolytes, fewer calories than a sports drink and you also get carbohydrates to help you through the workout." However, if you're planning on exercising for over an hour in the heat, be forewarned that coconut water might not cut it. "It's much lower in sodium and much higher in potassium than most sports drinks," explains Julie Upton, MS, RD, CSSD, a certified sports dietitian and co-founder of AppForHealth.com.

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"It's kind of hot right now," says Jackie Newgent, RD, an N.Y.C.-based nutritionist. "It has a lot of electrolytes, fewer calories than a sports drink and you also get carbohydrates to help you through the workout."

However, if you're planning on exercising for over an hour in the heat, be forewarned that coconut water might not cut it. "It's much lower in sodium and much higher in potassium than most sports drinks," explains Julie Upton, MS, RD, CSSD, a certified sports dietitian and co-founder of AppForHealth.com.

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Comments

[Styxtap]

05:44 PM on 08/03/2011

For real guys I swear by Coconut Water it is much better then strait water for a workout. (I do drink some of both during, though) If there is any time you need the calories, its while working out.

[Styxtap]

05:41 PM on 08/03/2011

COCONUT WATER I buy in bulk from Amazon! Nature's Gatorade, sooo delicious and energizing. I drink 1-2 every workout, especially good for weightlifting. but my fav way to get the blood pumping is charging up Stone Mountain just outside of Atlanta. Its a hell of workout.

[emmasvoice]

01:59 PM on 08/03/2011

Besides water and fruits, it is best that persons with medical issues check with their physician. Potassium, sodium, and sugars MUST be balanced for some people. While I cannot give my five drink choices, I do love this article.

[Stephanie Elise]

11:12 PM on 08/02/2011

Low calorie sports drinks ... right.

Whoever wrote this is obviously uninformed or just a calorie counting nut.

As if anyone interested in maintaining good health would put artificial colors and sweeteners like sucralose into their body.

Surely, pure water would be a better option.

[williamg]

01:51 AM on 08/03/2011

This article is about hydrating.

[sensimilla]

12:31 PM on 08/03/2011

sports drinks are better than water for hydrating during exercise as they replace the electrolytes lost. Plain water can contribute to an imbalance in electrolytes causing issues.

[On My Way 58]

11:09 PM on 08/02/2011

It is important to stay hydrted, but please be aware that there are some folks, like me, who cannot drink straight water. Yep - when my gastro, who is responsible for the after-care results of liver cancer, told me there are quite a few patients who cannot tolerate straight water, I was surprised.

Adding just a few slices of a veggie or fruit changes the composition of the water, and makes it completely tolerable. So for those of you who keep trying to listen to conventional wisdom, pay attention to the slide advocating adding something to the water!

[GiveMittAChance]

09:21 PM on 08/02/2011

Watermelon and Avacado were some of God's finest work, IMO.

[emmasvoice]

02:00 PM on 08/03/2011

Ditto. And don't foret cucumber.

[GiveMittAChance]

09:17 PM on 08/02/2011

Best way to hydrate yourself is by water. All others are substandard. Caffeine is a diuretic, so I'm not sure what they're talking about.

[On My Way 58]

11:14 PM on 08/02/2011

That isn't exactly true - straight water can do more damage than you may realize. As I posted above, it was my doc who suggested adding a few slices of veggie or fruit to the water, as there really are some folks who cannot tolerate straight water. I don't understand it fully, but it has to do with the acid in the stomach, and adding a little something else helps neutralize it.

[GiveMittAChance]

11:21 PM on 08/02/2011

Interesting. Well, I'm no doctor by any means. I was just talking about coffee and tea. That stuff just makes me pee too much. I personally think fruit and vegetables are great ways to hydrate yourself.

Good luck with your condition, and stay hydrated!

[sensimilla]

12:32 PM on 08/03/2011

sure but water does not replenish electrolytes, and can actually harm you if you are out of balance.

[GiveMittAChance]

02:19 PM on 08/03/2011

That's why you need to eat 6 small, well balanced meals a day. People need to stop drinking their calories. EAT EM!

[Bradley Scott Roon]

06:52 PM on 08/02/2011

I like Emergen-C. It has more electrolytes than any bottled stuff i've ever seen, and for 10bucks you get about 5 medium sized gatorade/powerade bottles. Nutritionally it is more like 50. That's a guess because they are not equal products.
The article also didn't mention microcluster water, which has H2O molecules in the 7 molecule cluster instead of the typical 13 (?) molecule cluster. Easier to get into the cells.

[Bradley Scott Roon]

06:48 PM on 08/02/2011

Chocolate milk? Key word: organic. RBST gets my kid sick and it increases your risk of breast, prostate, and intestinal cancer by 60%. GMO's BAD.

[Edward Antrobus]

08:39 PM on 08/02/2011

I've never actually seen a milk jug that wasn't labeled rBGH free. And I've never bought milk that was labelled organic.

[GiveMittAChance]

09:15 PM on 08/02/2011

I bought organic skim milk once, and it went bad in a few days. Never again. Walmart skim milk works just fine :)

[Bradley Scott Roon]

06:46 PM on 08/02/2011

Watermelon is no longer just a food group. It is a minor religion.

[Bradley Scott Roon]

06:45 PM on 08/02/2011

Most people i know need to drink a glass or two of good water even if they drink caffeine. They all seem to be somewhat more dehydrated on just coffee.

[Bradley Scott Roon]

06:43 PM on 08/02/2011

You are joking, right? Let's take something which likely has a diuretic like caffeine and drink it. Then our water wants to come out in urine. But since that would be a dumb idea, let's add sugar and screw up our water metabolization. Or avoid the sugar, since if it uses beet sugar it probably has genetically screwed up beets, and use genetically modified aspartame and create formaldehyde in our brain. Overstimulate our seratonin receptors. etc.

[robin360]

06:10 PM on 08/02/2011

"Throw in cucumber slices, mint, a lemon wedge, mint or another fruit,"
How about mint?

[Sara Gaynes]

11:54 AM on 08/03/2011

Thanks for catching that! It's been updated.

[RhiannonRings]

01:49 PM on 08/02/2011

Water and Gatorade are my saviors. I don't even do much exercise, I have CFS and suffer heat exhaustion very easily. It's going to be 95 here today, so I'm staying in with the a/c on. Even then, it's still hard!

[LisaMarieNyc]

12:55 PM on 08/02/2011

I was managing a Chinese restaurant (sit-down restaurant (pricey & excellent quality food); take-out was also available) from 2002-2005 and I happened to be the only non-Chinese employee. It was my most favorite managerial position to date! Every cook and order caller in the kitchen drank water that had been boiled and cooled down to room temperature and then fresh lemon slices were added to it. They drank it from the quart size containers we all get take-out soup in! There was not one person there who did not drink this constantly, so I started doing it and still do to this day. It is not only great for hydration, but you drink gallons of water which flushes your system & what isn't it great for in the human body(??!!), no added sugars, and some vitamin C added in to boot!