Many of us surely associate dehydration only to sport activities in hot environment.  While this is probably true, the concern of remaining without liquids in our body during exercising should also be valid in winter. Inadequate water intake during workouts can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, even dizziness.

Sweat rate doesn't change because of temperature drops. That is because sweat rate depends on many different factors, like fitness level, pace and acclimatization, not only ambient temp.  Spreading the message of drinking water during workouts it’s easy in summer, but not so much in winter time. Rely on thirst as an ultimate indicator of your hydration status is wrong and can lead you to not finish your workout properly. Ultimately, by checking the color of your urine, you can understand the level of dehydration; dark colors are synonymous of a lack of fluids on your body, while pale yellow is the aim.

Cold air often holds less moisture than normal one, and with every inhale of air we are getting into our body, is like if that is sucking moisture from our lungs and throat, increasing the chances of dehydration.

As well, factors like wind (drying our skin), or the habit of overdressing during winter are definitely not helpful to this matter. We often end up not feeling we are sweating even if we obviously are. Consider wearing layers of breathable fabrics instead of heavy-duty woolens to minimize water loss caused by perspiration can decrease the chances of dehydration.  Breathing by the nose, as well, is a fundamental skill that we should master especially during days of cold weather.

In terms of assumptions of liquids, water remains for sure the best way to restore fluids during exercising; it is calories free, not expensive and accessible for everyone.  Alternatively, especially if we will be doing high intensity workouts for more than one hour, sport beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes are probably more beneficial. As well, avoiding drinks that contains caffeine will prevent us from a raise on your blood pressure. For those who are used to drink flavored beverages, just simple water can taste too bland, so instead of buying artificially flavored drinks we suggest making infused water instead. Just adding a slice of any citrus or crushed mint can make a big difference in the taste indeed.

Winter despite being not the most appealing part of the year is surely a good time to focus on our health, a time to build up spring and summer routines, a time work on our body in order to achieve our summer goals.

Nowadays we can even set up alerts on our Wahoo to let him remembering to drink, so no excuses, let’s remember to hydrate enough no matter the temperature outside and the climate, especially as well on the post workout.