Did you know that lean muscle tissue contains more than 75 percent water? That means that when you’re dehydrated, your muscles are more easily fatigued … meaning you will tire more easily, you will cramp quicker, and your recovery will take longer. Pre-workout Whether you’re hitting the gym for a major sweat sesh, or hitting the pavement for a run, you should start your hydration game early. Drink the bulk of your water at least two hours prior to your workout - that gives your kidneys plenty of time to process the water through your system. During Your Workout If you FEEL thirsty, your body has already started to dehydrate, so be proactive. Drink small sips of water during your workout to maintain hydration, and keep your muscles functioning. If you get lightheaded during your workout, your body is telling you that it’s on it’s way to a dehydration stage. While your mind tends to want you to push through the lightheadedness, listen to your body! Take a break and hydrate before getting back at it. Post-workout To avoid muscle cramping and pain, it’s important to hydrate after your workout as well. When we sweat, we aren’t only getting rid of the water in our bodies, we are also losing electrolytes. Not every workout will require electrolyte-replenishing; however, if you are intensely sweating, there’s a good chance that you need to amp up your electrolytes post-workout. You can do so by consuming our favorite beverage WTRMLN WTR - a cold-pressed, mega-hydrating, ridiculously refreshing and delicious watermelon water! PRO TIP: Bananas and dates are both known to have high levels of the electrolyte potassium, which make them great for re-fuelling post workout (and for keeping those muscle cramps at bay!). What else does water do for you? Studies have shown that regularly consuming water helps to increase your tolerance to pain. For real. Why experience more pain than your well-hydrated workout buddy? Research has shown that water help to speed up your metabolism, while cleaning your body of toxins. In general, water makes your body function more efficiently. Dehydration and hunger pangs are often confused - so next time you find yourself hangry, drink some water before inhaling the first thing you see. Water won’t stop you from eating the healthy food your body craves to sustain itself; however, it can help curb those junk food cravings. Dehydration causes fatigue so, in theory, the opposite is also true - hydration keeps you awake, alert, and energized. Next time you hit that 3 o’clock afternoon slump, instead of reaching for a coffee or energy drink, have a refreshing glass of water to perk you up! DISCLAIMER: while we strongly encourage you to be consistently hydrated, there is a very small chance that you can over hydrate, which can lead to hyponatremia - when the excess water in your body dilutes the sodium content in your blood. The chances of this happening are very low, but we want to take the opportunity to make you aware of it!