You don’t need special sports drinks or power bars. Even the most elite athletes can get the nutrients they need from ordinary foods, water and salt. Healthy and fit people usually don’t need to drink or eat when they exercise at a casual pace for less than two hours. However, they can prolong their endurance by taking:
- a source of sugar when they race or exercise very intensely for more than an hour
- a source of water when they exercise intensely for more than a half hour in very hot weather or several hours in cooler weather
- a source of salt when they exercise for more than three hours
Mild Dehydration Does Not Impair Exercise Performance
Jason Bahr/Getty Images for Fitbit
