• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Testosterone Boosters
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Multivitamins
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Tasting Protein Powder
      • Best Vegan Protein
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Concept2 RowErg Review
      • Hydrow Wave Review
      • Best Jump Ropes
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Healthy Eating

Staying Hydrated Helps Heart Rate Recover Faster

We hear a lot about the importance of hydration, but recently scientists looked at the impact of hydration on the autonomic nervous system and discovered a critical reason for water's importance.

Doug Dupont

Written by Doug Dupont Last updated on Oct 20, 2021

When we exercise – especially when we do cardio for extended periods – the increased metabolism results in a thermic effect. In fact, mechanical inefficiency in the conversion of energy in the actual work performed is pretty high, with the rest of the energy wasted as heat. Think about it like a light bulb. When you touch a light bulb it’s hot, right? This might seem trivial, but it’s hot because when you put all that energy into producing light you get a lot of wasted energy, too. And when energy is wasted you get heat. Incidentally more efficient bulbs aren’t as hot as you may have noticed, but I digress.

(I know this is all basic stuff, but bear with me because the simplest stuff really is the best, right? Just like focusing on the fundamentals in your sport makes you a great athlete, focusing on the basics in science makes you a better academic.)

All this heat results in a loss of water. Why is that exactly? Looking at atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and the evaporation point of water, it just so happens that this amazing fluid is the perfect thing to leave your body and evaporate readily into the air most of the time. And when water changes states from liquid to gas it takes energy with it. So, all that wasted energy that was supposed to work your muscles floats away harmlessly into the air.

Now it’s known that this dehydration can lead to a decrement in performance and even your health. What’s amazing is that a recent article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition studying the effects of an isotonic solution (think: sports drink) on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) during exercise represented the first study of its kind. Your ANS, by the way, controls all kinds of things, including digestion, sex, hormones, fight or flight, your organs and most of your body’s unconscious processes.

In this study of the ANS athletes exercised for 90 minutes, and some of them drank Gatorade before and after their workout and some didn’t. Despite a scientifically insignificant improvement in performance, the extra hydration didn’t make a lot of difference during the workout. It helped the athlete’s maintain their bodyweight by maintaining hydration status, but otherwise didn’t have a huge impact. Where the benefit came was after the workout. The athletes drinking the Gatorade had a more rapid recovery in several of their indices that influence the ANS, specifically cardiac modulation – meaning, their heart rate recovered faster.

As a coach, I have long believed that recovery is the name of the game. If you can recover faster, you can do more exercise sooner and that equates to better results every time. More rapid recovery of the part of your nervous system that controls your internal organs is a critical avenue for improved performance. And all you have to do is stay hydrated. Simple and very effective.

This isn’t an ad for Gatorade, either. I think water alone will work just about as well, and there are better sports drinks out there, but the point is critical: Don’t forget to bring your water bottle with you.

References:

1. Isadora Moreno, et. al. “Effects of an isotonic beverage on autonomic regulation during and after exercise,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:2

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Doug Dupont

About Doug Dupont

Having grown up at the foot of a forest covered mountain in rural Vermont, Doug was active from a very young age. Hiking, running, and climbing were a part of everyday life in the Green Mountains. This culture of exercise led to dabbling in martial arts as a teen, and also getting work in a local powerlifting focused gym. Doug continued to pursue knowledge and training in exercise, becoming a certified personal trainer while still a teenager. Once in college he began his hand at the business side of fitness, taking a management position at a large local gym. During that time he became a founding member of the UVM Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club, and was the first among their competition team. After only a few months he was assisting in coaching, and ran conditioning program for the club.

Out of college Doug set up his own training center. He grew his list of clientele including several professional MMA athletes, eventually going so far as to corner a world title fight. He has continued ­­­to develop his business into today.

View All Articles

Related Posts

Chris Bumstead poses in a hallway with a cinematic-like shot in Spring 2022
Check Out Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead’s 5,000-Calorie Day of Eating Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia
scotcheggs2
Protein Powerhouse: Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs
carrotcr
Mash for GAINZ: 4 Simple Recipes for Performance
110434119521750614896973407503735308582943o
CrossFitters: The 3 Letters You Need to Know in Supplements

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

New Year’s Fitness Sales (2025)

XWERKS Motion BCAA Review (2025): A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Thoughts

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X Review (2025): Assault’s Best Bike Yet?

13 Best Exercise Bikes for Home Gyms (2025)

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review (2025): The Key to Post-Workout Recovery?

Latest Reviews

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt Review (2025)

Omre NMN + Resveratrol, Lifeforce Peak NMN, and partiQlar NMN on a red background

Best NMN Supplement: Fountain of Youth in a Bottle? (2025)

The Titan Series Adjustable Bench on a red background

Titan Series Adjustable Bench Review (2025)

A photo of the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells on a red background

NordicTrack Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2025): Are These Value Dumbbells Worth It?

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2025 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About