Hydration

By now, most people are aware of how important being properly hydrated is. But not many people are fully aware of why proper hydration is essential. Water makes up 60% of our body, and enables many chemical reactions to occur. Since water is not effectively stored, it is important to regularly consume enough water for your body to function properly. Also, an inadequate intake of water on a regular basis can lead to dry skin, chapped lips, headaches, and muscle soreness. On an average day, your body uses two to three quarts of water. This means you need to drink at least 8 (8 ounce glasses of water every day. Do not wait until you are thirsty. This means you are already on the road to dehydration. One should also try to consume foods with a high water content. This can include fruits such as apples, melons oranges, etc… However, alcohol, coffee, tea, soda, and anything with caffeine should be consumed moderately. Caffeine can increase one’s heart rate, and also acts as a diuretic. A diuretic flushes liquid from your body quickly, which can dehydrate you faster.

An active person must be much more aware of their water intake. In addition to the 8 daily glasses of water, one must drink water before, during, and after any exercise (cardio, strength-training, or other.) Sweat is the body’s cooling mechanism. Therefore, any time you plan on sweating, you must plan accordingly. You should consume 10-12 ounces of cool water prior to any exercise. Also, you should consume 4-8 ounces for every fifteen minutes of exercise (this means that you should consume a minimum of 2 bottles of water for a 60 minute training session.) Finally, you should replenish at least 8-16 ounces in the hours following exercise. This will aid in reducing muscle soreness and cramping.

Cool water is the best hydrator during exercise. Cool water is absorbed and used more rapidly than warm liquids. Caffeine and alcohol should not be consumed within a day of strenuous exercise. Studies have shown alcohol can negatively affect an athlete’s performance for up to 14 days. Sports drinks are a good supplement to water intake for very intense exercise, such as a marathon. It helps to replenish sodium that can be lost due to sweat

In summary, drink plenty of liquids every day, taking special care to properly hydrate around exercise periods. This allows your body to function properly on a daily basis, and allows you to compete or train at the highest level during exercise.

References:

A.C.E. Personal Trainer Manual (2nd edition)- ACE Publishing- 1996

Anatomy and Physiology (5th Edition)- McGraw Hill- 2000

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• Tip of the Month

  June 2010

  Abdominal Workouts: Frequency, Intensity, and Duration

  Over the past 15 years, there has been countless advice on how to “properly” train your abdominals, or core.  There isn’t a fitness magazine out there that doesn’t publish a different abdominal workout each and every issue.  Opinions and research may change over time, but there are a few things you should look at before you alter your workout with each Fitness Magazine you read!
  First of all, it is important to know what your overall fitness and health goal is before designing a strength program for any body part, especially the mid-section.  For overall fitness, it is smartest to treat your abdominal muscles as you would any other muscle group.  The tried and true guidelines for most exercise programs is to work specific muscles to fatigue within a 30-60 second set time limit (intensity and duration,) while giving the worked muscle group at least 24-48 hours of rest (frequency) before working it again.  The amount of sets you do in a given workout (frequency again) can vary from as little as 4 sets to up to 12 for the average workout.  The science behind these theories is sound.  While exercising, pushing your body significantly past the 60 second mark without fatigue generally incorporates aerobic energy, thereby not stressing the muscles most efficiently.  And rest is necessary so that your body can properly rebuild the muscle fibers that you have broken down.  Additionally, you want to be at 100% energy levels for your next workout!

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• Recipe of the Month

  June 2010

  Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

  This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

  4 large eggs
  4 large egg whites
  1 cup nonfat milk
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)
  4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
  1 cup diced ham steak, (5 ounces)
  1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  3/4 cup shredded Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
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