Water. It’s not exciting. Nobody’s making Instagram reels about drinking water. But if your training performance has plateaued, your energy is flat, or your recovery feels slow, dehydration might be the simplest fix you’re overlooking.
Most Australians don’t drink enough water. Not drastically, just mildly and chronically. And mild dehydration has a bigger impact on your body than you’d expect.
What Dehydration Does to Performance
You don’t need to be stumbling through the desert for dehydration to affect you. Even a 2% drop in body water (that’s about 1.5 litres for a 75kg person) can:
- Reduce strength by up to 20%. Your muscles are about 75% water. When they’re dehydrated, they can’t contract as forcefully.
- Increase perceived effort. The same workout feels significantly harder when you’re dehydrated. Your heart rate goes up, your temperature regulation gets worse, and everything takes more effort.
- Impair concentration and coordination. Your brain is about 80% water. Even mild dehydration affects reaction time, decision-making, and motor control.
- Slow recovery. Water is essential for nutrient transport, waste removal, and the chemical processes that repair muscle tissue. Less water means slower recovery.
How Much Do You Need?
The old “8 glasses a day” rule is a rough guide, but it doesn’t account for your size, activity level, or the climate. A more useful approach:
- Baseline: About 35ml per kilogram of body weight. So a 70kg person needs roughly 2.5 litres daily.
- Training days: Add 500-750ml per hour of exercise, more in hot weather or high-intensity sessions.
- Hot weather: Australia’s climate means you’re losing more water through sweat than you probably realise, even on days you’re not training.
The simplest test: check your urine colour. Pale yellow is good. Dark yellow or amber means you need more water. Clear means you might be overdoing it (yes, that’s a thing).
What About Electrolytes?
Water alone isn’t always enough, especially if you’re training hard in the heat. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) help your body absorb and retain water, maintain nerve function, and support muscle contractions.
You don’t need expensive supplements for this. A pinch of salt in your water bottle and eating a balanced diet covers most people. If you’re training for over an hour in hot conditions, an electrolyte tablet or powder can help.
Watch out for sports drinks loaded with sugar. Most contain more sugar than you need and less sodium than they should. If you want a simple electrolyte drink: water, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon.
Hydration Habits That Stick
- Start the day with a big glass of water. You wake up dehydrated after 7-8 hours without fluid. Drink 500ml before your coffee.
- Carry a bottle. If it’s in front of you, you’ll drink it. If you have to go find water, you won’t.
- Drink before, during, and after training. 500ml in the hour before, sip during, and 500ml after.
- Set reminders if you need to. No shame in it. Some people just forget to drink. A phone reminder every couple of hours works.
- Eat your water too. Fruit, vegetables, soups, and yoghurt all contribute to your fluid intake.
The Simple Fix
Of all the things you can do to improve your training, drinking more water is the easiest. It costs nothing, takes no extra time, and the effects are almost immediate. If you’re not drinking enough, start today. You’ll feel the difference within a week.
