Hydration
How Much Water to Drink When Training (Before, During, After)
Most people hydrate in one of two ways:
- they forget all day and chug at night
- they overthink it and still get it wrong
You don’t need a complicated plan. You need simple numbers you can actually follow.
How much water should you drink before a workout?
A good default:
- 500 ml in the 2 hours before training
If it’s hot or you sweat a lot, add:
- +200–300 ml in the last 60 minutes
If you train early and can’t drink much, do the minimum:
- 300–500 ml after waking, then go
How much water should you drink during a workout?
It depends on session length and sweat.
For a normal gym session (30–60 min)
- sip as needed
- don’t force it
For longer sessions (60+ min) or very sweaty training (Muay Thai)
Aim for:
- a few sips every 10–15 minutes
- roughly 200–600 ml per hour depending on heat and sweat
You don’t need a perfect target. The goal is to avoid leaving the session feeling wrecked.
How much water should you drink after a workout?
A simple default:
- 500–750 ml after training
If you’re drenched (shirt soaked, sweat dripping), go higher:
- 750–1000 ml over the next 1–2 hours
The “serious but simple” method (optional)
Weigh yourself before and after training:
- 1 kg lost ≈ 1 liter fluid deficit
You don’t need to replace it instantly, but it tells you if you’re consistently under-drinking.
Muay Thai hydration (practical version)
Muay Thai usually means sweat.
Use this:
- 500 ml in the 2 hours before
- sip during
- 750 ml after (more if you’re drenched)
If you finish Muay Thai with headaches/cramps:
- add electrolytes on those days
Electrolytes guide: Electrolytes for workouts.
Signs you didn’t drink enough (common and obvious)
- dark yellow urine after training
- headache after training
- cramps later that day/night
- unusually “flat” performance in the next session
- dry mouth that won’t go away
If these happen often, your hydration baseline is too low.
Start here: Hydration basics.
Common mistakes (easy fixes)
1) Drinking everything at night
Fix: shift some water earlier. Morning + midday solves most issues.
2) Only drinking when thirsty during training
Thirst is fine, but if you’re already behind, thirst comes late. Fix baseline first.
3) Ignoring heat and sweat
Hot day + hard training = you need more. No debate.
FAQ: water before/during/after training
How much water should I drink before the gym?
A good baseline is 500 ml in the 2 hours before training.
Should I drink water during a workout?
Yes if you’re thirsty, and especially if the session is 60+ minutes or very sweaty.
How much water should I drink after a workout?
Most people do well with 500–750 ml, more if the session was long/hot.