My Top Nutrition & Hydration Tips for Managing the Summer Heat

June 30th, 2024

I absolutely love summer. It’s one of my favorite seasons. I Iove spending more time outdoors, eating all the fresh fruit, nighttime bike rides with my kiddos, and traveling with my family and friends. And I do love the hot temps.

However, there are quite a few people who dread the summer months due to not feeling good in the heat.

Those who are intolerant to the heat need to take extra precaution with their nutrition and hydration. If you train or exercise outdoors, work outdoors, are naturally heavy sweaters (who soak through clothes while sitting) or have kids who play outdoors, you also need to take extra precaution!

People (children included) experiencing heat stress when spending time in the heat may exhibit symptoms of heat exhaustion:

  • Headaches

  • Lightheadedness/dizziness

  • Irritability

  • Heavy fatigue/tiredness

  • Thirst

  • Weakness

  • Excess sweating

  • Increased heart rate

  • Muscle cramps

  • Less urination

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

You don’t have to experience all of these symptoms either. Maybe you feel a headache come on with a heavy onset of fatigue. Some get irritable and nauseous, not wanting to eat anything. Be mindful of excessive sweating, lightheadedness and rapid heart rate. Or maybe you realized you haven’t peed in six hours (yikes!). These are all serious signs of dehydration and possible heat exhaustion.

And when I learned that over 75% of people are walking around chronically dehydrated, I was shocked.

Many people also believe they are hydrating well if they chug a bunch of water randomly throughout the day. When in reality, this can actually be quite dangerous (more to come on this).

There are many factors that affect our hydration and nutrition in the hot temps:

  • The environment: humid, dry, temperature, breezy, windy, cloudy

  • Activity level

  • Age: kids and seniors are at greater risk due to having more difficulty with self cooling

  • Sweat rate: Light, average or heavy sweater? Salty sweater?

  • Alcohol consumption (not a good combo)

  • Hydration status: Already dehydrated? This will make matters far worse.

For starters, identifying how you sweat can help nail down specific hydration protocols.

Are you a light sweater? Average sweater? Heavy sweater? How about a salty sweater (salt granules on forehead, skin and white streaks on clothing)?

Next, use the general guideline as a reference as to how much you need to drink:

1/2 oz of fluid per lb. of body weight

Example: 150 lb. = 75 oz of fluids needed to consume daily

This is your baseline fluid daily intake which does not include exercise or sweat rate. If you’re a heavier sweater, make sure increase fluids based on a sweatier day or exercise session.

With exercise, you need to drink more fluid than you lost because you continue to lose fluid through sweating and urination for some time after you have finished your session (keep in mind that outside work, such as yard work counts too).

Electrolytes are A MUST! We need electrolytes to help pull the fluid into the cells to be truly hydrated on a cellular level. You can drink all the water in the world but then you run the risk of being over-watered. (hyperhydrated). This can flush the electrolytes out of the body leaving you a higher risk of poor hydration status or what’s called hyponatremia (hypo = less, natremia = sodium in the blood).

Electrolytes consist of sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium. We excrete sodium at the highest rate via our sweat. However, that rate is different for everyone. We all need to replace and replenish electrolytes lost in sweat, especially sodium to avoid hyponatremia.

Too much sodium (hypernatremia) is a real thing too. So be mindful of total fluids and replenishing salt with both food and fluids.


If you’re not drinking enough or only drinking plain water, here are a few tips to help hydrate yourself properly:

1) Drink water first thing in the morning. We are already slightly dehydrated upon awakening as we are not drinking in our sleep (you’re far more than slightly if you’re part of the 75% of people chronically dehydrated). Put a glass or bottle of water out on the counter as a reminder to drink first thing.

2) Add 1-2 pinches of salt in your morning beverage for healthy hydration.

3) Use an electrolyte throughout the day or post a sweaty exercise session:

  • NUUN tabs: 300 mg of sodium (everyday hydration)

  • Liquid IV: 500mg of sodium (average to heavy sweater, post workout or sweaty activity)

  • LMNT: 1000mg of sodium (for heavy and salty sweaters)

  • Liquid IV kids: 250mg of sodium. My 6 and 8 year old are very active and will replenish with the cotton candy flavor, sometimes only consuming half of a serving

  • Coconut water: can add to smoothies or popsicles

4) Make sure to carry a water bottle with you at all times. Get a fancy water bottle or one with a straw.

5) Always carry extra fluid if going out for a long run, ride or other adventures. You never know how you’re going to feel that day.

6) Drink fluids consistently throughout the day. No chugging water to try to “catch up”, especially at night. This is only going to interrupt your sleep with having to get up in the middle of the night to pee.

7) Pay attention to your urine color:

  • Light lemonade: properly hydrated

  • Yellow/darker yellow: dehydrated

  • Clear: overhydrated (this can be detrimental if chronically clear as it will flush electrolytes)

Here are a few simple nutrition tips for the heat:

1) Fresh fruit: Choose water-rich and electrolyte-rich fruit such as watermelon, grapes, pineapple, berries (salted watermelon and dates…yum).

2) Easy to eat bars: Kind protein, Rx bars, and Aloha bars are a few of my favorites.

3) Carb-rich foods for those playing sports in the heat: yogurt squeezes, applesauce pouches, Fuel for Fire pouches, pretzels, salty crackers, popcorn or favorite snack that you know you’ll eat in the heat. The heat causes us to burn through our carb stores more quickly. Replenish them for good energy and recovery.

4) Sprinkle salt on foods after a sweaty session if unable to use an electrolyte replacement.

5) Freezie pops or popsicles! Here is a favorite Blackberry Protein Popsicle recipe of mine:


Blackberry Protein Popsicles

Servings: 3

  • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt

  • 1 Cup Frozen blackberries

  • 1/2 Cup Almond milk

  • 1 Scoop Protein powder

  • 2 Tbsp Honey Optional

1.     Place all the ingredients into a blender until smooth.

2.     Pour mixture into 3 popsicle molds and fill to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each mold and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until frozen solid.

3.     To remove popsicles from molds, run them until warm water for 30 seconds.

Are you someone who overheats quickly? Or do you plan on exercising in the heat for a longer duration? Try these cooling and pre-cooling strategies!

Pre-cooling has emerged as a valuable tool that can enhance performance, delay fatigue and improve recovery for active individuals, for those who are intolerant to heat, and those experiencing hot flashes.

Here are a few pre-cooling and cooling strategies:

1) Keep a cooler filled with water, ice and sponges. Use the cold sponges on your forehead, neck and abdominal area to help cool your body. You can use cold, wet towels before heading out in the heat as well.

2) Consume ice water or ice slush to cool internal body temperature.

3) Cold water or shower immersion before heading out in the heat.

4) Wear loose, sweat wicking clothes that are of lighter color.

I’m very passionate about fueling and hydrating well in the heat. Improper fueling and hydration can affect exercise and day-to-day performance greatly. From a hydration perspective alone, being moderately dehydrated can negatively impact performance up to 40%!

Avoid sugary drinks, energy drinks and drinks such as Gatorade as they can ultimately leave us more dehydrated with the sugar, chemicals and/or caffeine content. And no, Prime is not a electrolyte replacement.

Be mindful of yourself, family members, and kids and continue to be aware of total daily hydration to stave off heat stress and heat exhaustion (How much did I drink? What is my urine color? Did I only pee once today?).

By keeping up with your hydration throughout the day, you can avoid uncomfortable—and sometimes dangerous—symptoms of dehydration and hyperhydration, and can set you up for sweat success!

Questions on how much you need when it comes to fueling and hydration? Feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to help!

 


Katie Vaughn