After activity, how much water should you drink?

• A. 24 ounces for every pound lost
• B. 8 ounces per hour
• C. 40 ounces total
• D. 6 ounces per 15 minutes

Answer: (A)

After activity, rehydration is about replacing what you’ve lost through sweat, and the best way to tailor that is by how much weight you shed during the session. For every pound you lose, drink about 24 ounces of fluid. This connection between weight loss and fluid intake helps ensure you restore both water and electrolytes that sweat removes, which is more effective than sticking to a fixed amount regardless of how much you sweated.

For example, if you finish 2 pounds lighter, aim for roughly 48 ounces in the hours after your workout. Sip gradually rather than chugging a lot at once, and if you sweated a lot or trained in heat, choose a beverage with electrolytes to replace sodium and other minerals.

Other approaches that ignore your actual sweat loss can under- or over-hydrate you. A fixed amount or a simple hourly target doesn’t account for individual differences in sweating, so tying intake to weight loss provides a more accurate guide.