What to drink while doing exercise for optimal performance

December 26, 2025 •

4 min read

According to sports medicine specialists, a fluid loss of just 2% of body weight can significantly hinder athletic performance. Knowing what to drink while doing exercise is a critical component of any fitness routine, ensuring you stay hydrated and energized to perform at your best.

Quick Summary

Proper hydration during physical activity depends on the workout's intensity and duration. While water is sufficient for shorter sessions, more prolonged or intense exercise often requires replenishing electrolytes and carbohydrates. Balancing fluid and nutrient intake is essential for maintaining energy levels, regulating body temperature, and aiding muscle function to prevent fatigue and cramping. Making informed choices supports both immediate performance and long-term recovery.

Key Points

Duration is key: Choose water for workouts under 60 minutes and sports drinks for longer, higher-intensity sessions.
Electrolytes are crucial: For heavy sweating or prolonged exercise, electrolytes (especially sodium) are necessary to maintain fluid balance.
Avoid sugary drinks: Soft drinks and high-sugar juices are not effective for hydration and can cause stomach upset during exercise.
Homemade is an option: You can create effective and budget-friendly electrolyte drinks with simple ingredients like water, salt, and honey.
Don't wait for thirst: By the time you feel thirsty, you are likely already dehydrated. Sip small amounts consistently during your workout.
Consider your environment: Hot and humid conditions increase sweat rate, meaning you'll need to increase both fluid and electrolyte intake.
Recovery matters: After intense exercise, drinks like chocolate milk provide an optimal mix of carbs and protein for muscle repair.

The Importance of Hydration During Exercise

Staying properly hydrated is fundamental to maintaining bodily functions, regulating temperature, and supporting muscle and joint performance. During exercise, your body loses fluids and vital minerals (electrolytes) through sweat. Failing to replace these can lead to dehydration, which manifests as increased fatigue, decreased endurance, and impaired concentration. The right fluid intake helps maintain blood volume, regulate body temperature, and transport nutrients to working muscles.

General Hydration Rules

Before Exercise: Start your workout hydrated. A good practice is to drink about 17 to 20 ounces of water a few hours beforehand.
During Exercise: Sip small amounts of fluid regularly. Aim for 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes, adjusting based on sweat rate and environmental conditions.
After Exercise: Replenish lost fluids. A simple method is to weigh yourself before and after exercise; for every pound lost, drink about 20 to 24 ounces of fluid.

Water: The Universal Hydration Hero

For most individuals engaging in low-to-moderate intensity exercise lasting less than 60 minutes, plain water is the best and most effective choice.

Benefits of water include:

It contains no calories, sugar, or artificial additives, making it the purest hydration source.
It's readily available and inexpensive.
It is crucial for maintaining general health and regulating body temperature.

When to Consider Sports Drinks

For more intense or prolonged exercise—typically lasting longer than 60 to 90 minutes—involving significant sweating, a sports drink can be beneficial. These drinks contain a combination of water, carbohydrates (sugars), and electrolytes (primarily sodium and potassium) that plain water cannot replace effectively during extended exertion.

The role of sports drink components:

Carbohydrates: Provide a quick energy source to fuel muscles and delay fatigue. The recommended concentration is typically 6% to 8%.
Electrolytes (Sodium): The superstar electrolyte lost in sweat. Sodium helps the body retain water and maintain fluid balance, which is crucial for nerve and muscle function.

Homemade Sports Drinks and Natural Alternatives

Instead of store-bought versions, you can create your own effective electrolyte drink at home or opt for natural alternatives.

Recipes for Homemade Drinks

Basic Lemon-Salt Water: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of honey into one liter of water. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice for flavor and extra carbohydrates.
Coconut Water: This is a natural, low-sugar alternative rich in potassium. While it is lower in sodium than traditional sports drinks, it's a good option for moderate exercise.

Comparing Hydration Options


Drink Option	Best For	Pros	Cons
Water	Short workouts (<60 min), casual exercise, weight loss	Calorie-free, accessible, no additives	Doesn't replace electrolytes or carbohydrates for long workouts
Sports Drinks	Long duration (>60 min), high intensity, heavy sweating	Replaces electrolytes & carbs, fast energy boost, enhances absorption	Often high in sugar and calories, potential for dental erosion, unnecessary for short workouts
Coconut Water	Moderate exercise, lower intensity, natural alternative	Rich in potassium, lower in sugar than some sports drinks, natural ingredients	Lower in sodium than sports drinks, can be costly
Homemade Mix	Customizable hydration, budget-friendly	Control over sugar/sodium, avoids artificial ingredients	Requires preparation, inconsistent formulation without precise measurement

What Not to Drink During Exercise

Certain beverages are counterproductive for hydration and performance.

Sugary Soft Drinks or Juice: These are high in sugar and low in sodium, which can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and hinder fluid absorption.
Energy Drinks: With high levels of caffeine and sugar, energy drinks can cause energy spikes and crashes, upset your stomach, and act as a diuretic, further dehydrating you.
Alcohol: This is a diuretic that speeds up fluid loss and negatively impacts performance and recovery.
Excessive Caffeine: While some pre-workout caffeine is fine, too much can contribute to dehydration and cause stomach issues.

Post-Workout Recovery Drinks

Recovery is a key part of exercise, and specific drinks can help replenish nutrients and repair muscles after a strenuous session.

Excellent post-workout options include:

Chocolate Milk: The ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein promotes muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment.
Protein Shakes: Supplementing with protein and carbohydrates in a shake can aid muscle repair, especially after weight training.
Plain Water: After a short, low-intensity workout, rehydrating with water is perfectly sufficient.

Creating Your Personalized Hydration Plan

The best strategy for what to drink while doing exercise is highly individual. It depends on your exercise intensity, duration, sweat rate, and the climate. Pay close attention to your body's signals, such as thirst and urine color, which is a reliable indicator of hydration status. Practice your hydration strategy during training, especially for long-duration events, to find what works best for you and avoid surprises on race day. For those with specific health concerns or very high-intensity training, consulting a sports dietitian can help create a customized fluid intake plan. The Australian sports dietitians are an excellent resource for athletic hydration information. Fluids in sport - Sports Dietitians Australia.

Conclusion

Making an informed choice about what to drink while doing exercise can make a significant difference to your performance, safety, and recovery. For most general fitness activities, water remains the best option for hydration without added calories. However, during more strenuous and longer sessions, sports drinks or natural alternatives become essential for replacing lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. By understanding your body's needs and adjusting your fluid intake accordingly, you can ensure your hard work pays off and you stay energized throughout your fitness journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

For low-to-moderate intensity workouts lasting less than 60 minutes, water is typically sufficient. However, for longer, more intense exercise or sessions in hot weather, you also need to replace electrolytes and carbohydrates, which water alone cannot provide.

You should consider a sports drink for high-intensity exercise, endurance events, or workouts lasting longer than 60 to 90 minutes, especially if you are sweating heavily.

Chocolate milk is often recommended as an excellent post-workout recovery drink. It provides a balanced ratio of carbohydrates and protein to help with muscle repair and glycogen replenishment.

No, energy drinks are generally not recommended for hydration during a workout. They contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, which can lead to energy crashes and further dehydration.

Yes, excessive water intake, especially during long-duration events where you are losing electrolytes, can lead to a dangerous condition called overhydration or hyponatremia (low blood sodium concentration).

Key signs include fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness, and dark-colored urine. A simple visual check of your urine color is a good indicator of your hydration status.

Coconut water is a decent natural alternative, particularly for moderate workouts, as it contains potassium. However, since it is lower in sodium, it may not be as effective as a sports drink for high-intensity, sweaty, or prolonged exercise.