Should I Drink Water While In The Sauna?
What is the most common scene that comes to your mind when you think of a sauna? It is most likely that of a towel-wrapped or robed person who is drinking water sitting inside a sauna. We are almost accustomed to thinking that it is necessary for us to carry a big bottle of water inside a sauna room.
Even though it is quite important to keep yourself hydrated for the sauna, we are ever likely to advise you about drinking water in a sauna. Isn’t it quite natural to drink water in a warm room? It is, but the same doesn’t apply when you are inside a sauna. Hence, let us dig a little deeper.
Why is hydration necessary for a sauna?
Most of our body is made up of water. Everything from our blood to our urine requires water. Hence, it is important to maintain the balance of water in our bodies. If our body is unable to keep the required amount of water, it leads to dehydration. To combat dehydration, a person will need to drink lots of water and supplement their body with vitamins and minerals that help their body retain water.
Heat is one of the main causes of dehydration, so we are usually advised to drink lots of water when we are in a warm place. Dehydration wreaks havoc in our body, and it can lead to other ailments, cause body pain or lead someone towards fainting spells. Fever often causes dehydration in our body as it is too heated up.
As a sauna is hot, it is most likely to dehydrate our bodies. So, proper hydration becomes important to combat dehydration. It is advised to drink at least 2 liters of water before a sauna session.
Another thing to note is that we go to sauna sessions to break into a sweat. Sweat is formed from the water present inside our body. Therefore, if a dehydrated person visits a sauna, they will invariably fall sick. It is advised to all sauna goers to drink up a good amount of water on the day they plan to visit a sauna.
What about drinking water inside a sauna?
We will advise you against drinking water inside a sauna. One of the crucial things to remember is that the bottle you take inside the sauna will also get hot. Heat can mess with the water, especially when it gets in a room with a high temperature as that of a traditional sauna. And, we don’t think you will enjoy drinking hot water.
This is especially true for steam rooms where you are already surrounded by a lot of humidity. Another thing that water does is to cool your insides, and that is counterproductive to sauna sessions.
Also, the sudden introduction of water into your body can make your body go into shock. Drinking water may also prohibit your body from sweating, which makes the whole sauna session redundant.
Having enough water before the sauna session helps to keep your body hydrated when you are in the sauna. Make sure to sip on the water for a long duration rather than drinking all of it in one go. Drinking a lot of water at the same time may trigger your body to form urine as fast as possible, which will make you go to the toilet rather than adding any benefit.
If you feel thirsty, do not shy away from taking a 5-minute break from the sauna session to have some water.
How to keep yourself hydrated after a sauna?
As we have already recommended you not to drink water inside a sauna room, we will also advise you to drink water after a sauna session. Drinking water will help to replenish the sweat that you lost during the session. Remember to drink room temperature water rather than cold water after a hot sauna session.
Drinking water will also help your body adjust to the temperature present outside the sauna room. Also, stay away from sugary drinks or juices after you have completed a sauna, as they can give a sugar rush.
We hope that this information has helped you regarding the query of rehydration inside a sauna. Even though many people end up repeating the mistake, you now know the right thing. Carry a big bottle of water with you and sip it for a duration of 2-3 hours.
We are sure that making this small change into your routine will help you experience better and enhanced sauna sessions to get more benefits from it.
Hi, my name is Mark, I am a fitness enthusiast and sauna lover. All About Sauna is a project dedicated to helping others make important decisions related to sauna and wellness.
