How much water do I need to drink when I'm working out?

Many people underestimate the importance of water, but keeping hydrated before, during and after exercise can significantly benefit your training. Water makes up around 60-75 per cent of your body weight and is an important part of your nutrition and wellbeing. It’s involved in nearly every part of your body and helps the blood flow, encourages chemical reactions in cells, cushions muscles and regulates body temperature.

When you're dehydrated, these functions become impaired, which can affect the flow of oxygen, your performance ability and cause fatigue - which is not only detrimental to your workout but can eventually affect your health. The average person should be consuming around 2.5 litres for men and 2 litres for women per day, 70-80 per cent of which should be sourced from water.

However when you’re exercising, you should be conscious of how much water you are losing through sweating , particularly as vigorous exercise can be demanding on your body. If not replaced, a significant loss of water can result in serious implication for your health and performance. There’s no exact amount you should drink, however you need to ensure you’re drinking at regular intervals throughout the workout. And don’t forget, your body needs hydration over an extended period after your workout too.