Drink a lot of water in the heat? In fact, water is not always the best choice at high temperatures. Here you read what is better suited.
Making enough fluid is important for your metabolism and your skin, as well as for many other processes of your body. In high heat it is particularly important to drink enough. Usually water is recommended as the ideal thirst quencher, because it does not contain sugar or calories. There are many important minerals such as magnesium and calcium in mineral water – perfect for a hot day?
However, what may surprise you: water is not always the perfect drink in the heat.
When is water no longer enough?
In an online contribution, the BBC writes that water is basically sufficient for most people on hot days, but the ideal type of fluid intake can change depending on the climate and activity. Logically, people who are particularly active in high heat need more liquid than people who only sit on an office chair at the same temperature. By sweating, your body loses water that you have to deliver again in the heat by regular drinking.
In the event of heat and a lot of movement, you not only sweat water, but together with it also vital salt and electrolytes. You also have to replace this. And here pure water is reached to its limits – because so that you can not always ideal the salts and electrolytes if you sweat a lot through a lot of movement.
This means that if you are very active on hot days and thereby lose a lot of water and salts, you should also use other drinks in addition to water to replace both.
In addition to water: you should consume these other drinks
The BBC recommends not only drinking water in heat. In addition, you should also consume drinks such as milk or coconut water on hot days. Coconut water is full of minerals, including:
- potassium
- sodium
- magnesium
- Calcium
However, coconut water does not contain much more electrolytes than a normal mineral water. Due to the long transport routes and the associated poor ecological balance of coconut water, you should therefore not rely on this drink as a source of fluids.
According to the BBC, cow’s milk is interesting as a thirst quencher due to the salts and lactose it contains: According to an expert, the latter should improve water absorption. Unfortunately, plant milk cannot come up with lactose. For this, the vegan milk replacement contains other important minerals, such as:
- sodium
- potassium
- magnesium
Depending on the variety, however, the actual content of electrolytes and salts in plant milk can vary greatly – especially because certain vitamins and minerals are often only added and are not naturally contained in the milk. Plant milk is therefore also not a perfect choice as the sole supplier of liquid and salt.
However, it is ideal to drink isotonic drinks in heat because they contain enough important electrolytes in addition to liquid. According to studies, this should help to better supply your body with activity and heat with moisture better than water alone. However, it should be noted that many isodrinks also contain flavor enhancers and sometimes unnecessarily a lot of sugar. Sugar can provide you with new energy at short notice during sports. If you drink too many sugared isotonic drinks, this may bring health disadvantages in the long run. You can drink sports drinks in heat, but better only in moderation.
Should everyone drink sports drinks in the heat?
According to the BBC, sports drinks can be particularly interesting for athletes: inside at heat. However, the average person loses as many minerals when sweating that isotonic drinks become necessary, according to David Nieman, a biology professor at Appalachian State University in the article.
If you don’t move much at high temperatures, isotonic drinks are not a must for you. On the contrary: since these drinks often contain sugar, according to the BBC, they are less suitable for people who actually do not need the excess calories. Less active people can also cover their increased salt requirement in heat with a balanced diet and do not need additional drinks with electrolytes, an expert told the BBC.
In summary, this means:
Are you very active in the heat?
If the answer to this is, drinks can make sense that not only provide you with water but also electrolytes. It is best to drink special sports drinks in the heat. Other alternatives such as coconut water or milk are not necessarily recommended for the reasons mentioned above.
Make isotonic drinks yourself
In order to be quite sure that your drink does not contain excessive sugar, but important electrolytes and salt, you can simply make an isotonic drink yourself.
You need that:
- Water (preferably mineral water because it already contains some minerals)
- Self -pressed fruit juice (for example orange juice or apple juice)
- Half to a whole teaspoon of salt per liter of liquid
- optionally some lemon, mint or ginger for the taste
Now simply mix water and juice in a ratio of 2: 1 and add the salt and the taste components of your choice. Your homemade isodrink is ready. You can find even more ideas and variants for homemade isodrinks here: Make electrolyte drinks yourself: 3 recipes for athletes: inside.
Tip: You can drink this drink even without a guilty conscience when you are not active. Since it does not contain any additional sugar (when using self -pressed fruit juice), this drink is low in calories and also full of vitamins.
Tips for hot days: drinking and eating fruit often
It is particularly important in high heat: don’t drink only if you are already thirsty. It is better to drink often and smaller quantities throughout the day. If you are very active, you should drink more and more often. In addition to water, sports drinks can also be useful for the reasons mentioned.
Another tip to keep your moisture and mineral balance stable on hot days even without isotonic drinks: eat fruit. The combination of water and fruit not only provides you with liquid, but also with important minerals.
In conversation with the BBC, an expert recommends that children and old people in particular not only drink enough in the heat, but also eat enough fruit to prevent dehydration. The carbohydrates in fruits slow down the water in the body. This allows the organism to keep the fluid absorbed better. Simply cover your fruit requirement, for example with fruit salads or with homemade smoothies. When training on hot days, quickly enjoying a banana to your cool water is also a good idea.
A study proves that a good supply of the body with moisture is associated with regular fruit and vegetable consumption. Thanks to the vitamins it contains, fruit also offers other health benefits. If you want to read more recommendations for the daily consumption of fruit, this contribution could be interesting for you: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day? The WHO recommends something else.
You can find even more tips for the right nutrition on hot days here: Eat in the heat: 8 errors that you should avoid.
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