How to not dry out after exercise
How dehydration affects endurance, sprint and cognitive performance, and the practical numbers you need to rehydrate correctly.
Exercise raises body temperature and sweating is the primary cooling mechanism. Once sweat losses exceed about 2% of body mass, the effects on performance become measurable: endurance capacity drops, sprint power drops, cognitive performance drops. Thirst is not a reliable guide because it lags behind actual fluid deficit significantly.
The article covers how to check hydration status using body mass and urine colour, how to estimate your sweat rate, how much to drink during exercise, and the 1.5x replacement formula for rehydrating after. It also addresses overhydration and hyponatremia, particularly relevant for longer events. Published on Medium, August 2022.