Author: Dr. Gary Huber

Sweat is water loss so how do I replace the water and minerals after a great workout?

Awesome day for a bike ride today so after logging in a 51 mile effort with friends I was a bit depleted . . . on every level. But one simple element to always consider after exercise is how much water and minerals did you just lose? One simple way to assess this is to weigh yourself right before exercise and again right after. I lost 4.2 pounds today on that ride and yes it would be lovely to think that was fat but mostly it was water. One pound of water loss = 16 ounces of water replacement. So after today’s effort I need roughly 68 ounces of water just to restore my hydration back to normal.

Now ADD to that my daily basic requirement of 0.5 ounces per pound of body weight and that's another 90 ounces. If you factor in the “fat” coffee I enjoyed that's another 8 ounces as coffee is a diuretic (makes you pee). And if I elect to have a glass of wine this evening well . . . that's another diuretic that will require a little more water.

Sounds like a lot but then I don’t normally lose 4.2 pounds of sweat every day. Knowing this can help you keep your tank full and your energy high.

Minerals? Yes, using a Himalayan salt in some of that water will be helpful in restoring the mineral loss. But doesn't salt cause high blood pressure? The short answer is NO not if this is a replacement for losses. Also the old myth that salt causes high blood pressure has been disproven but that's a more detailed conversation for another day.

I would love to stay and chat but I MUST get to the bathroom. Surprisingly when you drink this much water after a good sweat the body absorbs it and the bathroom trips are surprisingly sparse.

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