Having lived and worked
Having lived and worked outside (Army) for a few years of my life, about 8 months in the desert (135 degrees F with single digit humidity) and the rest in the southern Appalachian mountains (95 degrees F with 80% plus humidity) while being responsible for my own hydration and that of many others, I've had some experience with what works well and what doesn't. Here are a few simple guidelines:
Drink lots of water. It is the original and best hydration drink there is. It weighs roughly 8 pounds per gallon and makes up around 60 and 70% of your body's materials. With that ratio, it's weight well worth carrying, and it carries much more easily inside than when hung on the outside in various containers.
You will perform much better and more efficiently when you remain hydrated properly.
You can't drink too much. The few exceptions you've probably heard about are media-circus-driven medical anomalies or individual abuses (deliberately not peeing while consuming massive amounts of water). Your body has an automated system for getting rid of excess water. If you're peeing (and your urine is clear) so often that it's an inconvience, you can probably safely back down your hydration a notch or two.
Staying hydrated is much more efficient and healthy than continually "draining and refilling the tank." Doing this won't kill you, but it's just not as good as maintaining the even keel of a healthy hydration level.
Room temp is best.
Sipping slowly allows for much more efficient absorption than chugging, although chugging does feel good sometimes. Sipping will also help reduce sloshing due to the more efficient absorption rate.
Being thirsty means you should have been drinking more water much earlier. Thirst is a warning alarm, not a mere friendly reminder. By the time you're thirsty, your body's water tank is nearing the healthy "Empty" mark.
The clearer your urine, the better. The darker yellow it is, the more you need to be drinking IMMEDIATELY. Watch it and start to rehydrate way before it gets deeply colored. If you're not peeing at all, stop what you're doing and drink water.
Caffiene is a diuretic (forces water out of your system).
It takes almost as much water as is in fully sugared beverages (sodas, southern sweet tea, etc) to process the sugar out of your body as are contained in those beverages.
Put caffeine and sugar together and you're wasting the vast majority of the water in that beverage.
Cold drinks (including water) generally shock your body when your core temp is up. Not a good idea, and usually feels unpleasant in a variety of ways, especially if you're continuing to maintain an elevated core temp.
Much of this has already been covered previously. I just wanted to put all of this experientially gained knowledge (mine and everybody else's) in one place. Hope it helps. It's kept me healthy and alive in some of the harshest environments in the world while performing extremely difficult labor.
Phil
Having lived and worked outside (Army) for a few years of my life, about 8 months in the desert (135 degrees F with single digit humidity) and the rest in the southern Appalachian mountains (95 degrees F with 80% plus humidity) while being responsible for my own hydration and that of many others, I've had some experience with what works well and what doesn't. Here are a few simple guidelines:
Drink lots of water. It is the original and best hydration drink there is. It weighs roughly 8 pounds per gallon and makes up around 60 and 70% of your body's materials. With that ratio, it's weight well worth carrying, and it carries much more easily inside than when hung on the outside in various containers.
You will perform much better and more efficiently when you remain hydrated properly.
You can't drink too much. The few exceptions you've probably heard about are media-circus-driven medical anomalies or individual abuses (deliberately not peeing while consuming massive amounts of water). Your body has an automated system for getting rid of excess water. If you're peeing (and your urine is clear) so often that it's an inconvience, you can probably safely back down your hydration a notch or two.
Staying hydrated is much more efficient and healthy than continually "draining and refilling the tank." Doing this won't kill you, but it's just not as good as maintaining the even keel of a healthy hydration level.
Room temp is best.
Sipping slowly allows for much more efficient absorption than chugging, although chugging does feel good sometimes. Sipping will also help reduce sloshing due to the more efficient absorption rate.
Being thirsty means you should have been drinking more water much earlier. Thirst is a warning alarm, not a mere friendly reminder. By the time you're thirsty, your body's water tank is nearing the healthy "Empty" mark.
The clearer your urine, the better. The darker yellow it is, the more you need to be drinking IMMEDIATELY. Watch it and start to rehydrate way before it gets deeply colored. If you're not peeing at all, stop what you're doing and drink water.
Caffiene is a diuretic (forces water out of your system).
It takes almost as much water as is in fully sugared beverages (sodas, southern sweet tea, etc) to process the sugar out of your body as are contained in those beverages.
Put caffeine and sugar together and you're wasting the vast majority of the water in that beverage.
Cold drinks (including water) generally shock your body when your core temp is up. Not a good idea, and usually feels unpleasant in a variety of ways, especially if you're continuing to maintain an elevated core temp.
Much of this has already been covered previously. I just wanted to put all of this experientially gained knowledge (mine and everybody else's) in one place. Hope it helps. It's kept me healthy and alive in some of the harshest environments in the world while performing extremely difficult labor.
Phil