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<\/p>\nNASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) \u2014 September is coming in hot in Tennessee as temperatures remain well above average in our Code Red forecast, but life goes on; the games are still played, so nutritionists are telling people to get ahead of their hydration before they work out or hit the field.<\/p>\n
Sports dietitian Wendi Irlbeck says we wake up in a state of dehydration, so 16-24 ounces of water every couple of hours can help prepare you for exercising in the heat. <\/p>\n
But what about beyond just water?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Beyond the bottle: nutritionists say you can ‘eat’ your hydration in this heat. (WZTV)<\/p>\n
We can actually salt watermelon slices, orange slices, that’s actually what the NFL does, halftime snacks, it’s carbohydrates, it’ fluids, it’s minerals, antioxidants, and so grapes, watermelon, orange slices. Those are phenomenal ways to actually eat your hydration and then you can add fruit to your water, but we should be consuming roughly 16 to 24 ounces every couple of hours,\u201d Irlbeck tells FOX17 News\u2019 Johnny Maffei.<\/p>\n
Sodium, magnesium, and potassium are three things your body loses when you sweat, Irlbeck notes, which is why water isn\u2019t enough sometimes.<\/p>\n
If you weigh yourself before and after exercising, Irlbeck says you should drink 16-24 ounces of water for every pound lost, plus 500mg of sodium.<\/p>\n
Irlbeck is concerned about too much caffeine for student-athletes. <\/p>\n
The Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 100mg of caffeine per day for kids. <\/p>\n