At the gym there is a man who trains at the same time as me. He literally walks to the water station after every set, leans over and slurps out of the water fountain. The water drips down his mouth and onto the floor as he walks back to his exercise station. Does he really need that much water?
That poor man probably lives in premier Panyaza Lesufi’s Gauteng. Give him a break and let him stock up on water. He probably knows that access to clean, safe drinking water and sanitation is a basic human right.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have often visited the local gym when the taps in my area ran dry for days on end. Clean, high-pressure showers, basins with power sockets nearby, flushing toilets and drinking water: worth every cent.
It’s also much cheaper than visiting a hotel to take a bath. And tactically, pairing a basic human right such as staying alive or cleaning your body with some resistance training or cardiovascular exercise will surely have a better effect on longevity than doubling up on manicures, eat-all-you-can buffets or whatever else tone-deaf politicians do at hotels.
Let’s assume your gym colleague is not stockpiling. Perhaps he is just thirsty. The rule of thumb is to drink to thirst. That may sound astonishingly obvious, but some people do overemphasise how much water they need. I’ve seen people walk their poodle around the block armed with a sweat towel and a water bottle in case, you know, they suffer from dehydration in the blazing African heat.
Hyponatremia is an uncommon condition that occurs during endurance events, in which excessive water intake dilutes blood sodium levels, leading to cell swelling (especially in the brain), which can cause symptoms such as nausea, confusion, seizures, and, in severe cases, coma or death.
That’s rare, but good to know. This is why good trainers tell us to drink to thirst, because our brilliantly designed bodies tell us — if we learn to listen — how to avoid dehydration.
Water is crucial to exercise performance. Proper hydration supports various physiological processes, including temperature regulation, nutrient transport and waste removal, all of which play critical roles in athletic performance and physical activities.
Proper hydration during prolonged exercise and endurance exercise is critical because it maintains blood volume, which has a direct effect on efficient nutrient and oxygen delivery to cells in the body, while also supporting the body’s energy production systems. Dehydration of just 2% can significantly reduce endurance and performance.
Muscles rely heavily on water for effective contraction, elasticity and function. Dehydration disrupts nerve signalling and membrane excitability, which can lead to cramps, weakness and much more. Without going into too much technical detail, sufficient hydration improves muscle endurance, faster recovery between sets and reduced soreness after exercise, because, simply put, water facilitates nutrient delivery and waste clearance.
If your friend at the gym is a weekend warrior he may know that hydration also supports glycogen storage in the muscles, which contributes to their size and energy reserves for intense training that promotes hypertrophy, a fancy word for the muscle growth he so dearly wants.
Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids
It is usually at this point in the hydration conversation that the supplement salesperson points you to differently branded electrolytes. And he or she is probably right to do so, especially if you train long and hard. It doesn’t mean you have to rush for the product with the highest sugar content; what it means is that it is good to understand what electrolytes are.
Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids. They play a critical role in hydration by helping regulate fluid balance inside and outside cells, ensuring water is properly distributed and retained where needed.
Electrolytes and hydration are interconnected: water alone isn’t always enough, especially during physical activity, heat exposure or illness, because sweat and other fluid losses deplete water and these minerals. Electrolyte supplementation will help prevent dehydration by maintaining osmotic balance, which pulls water into cells and prevents excessive fluid loss.
The bad news is that pumping electrolytes into broken water infrastructure won’t prevent excessive fluid loss and secure patronage for at least one more election cycle. We must assume those in charge understand that the tapping noise echoing through communities and social media is not a million dripping taps; it’s a countdown timer to the local government elections.
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