Fluid losses during exercise will be different for each individual and will depend on the type and intensity of the workout. Fluid losses will occur due to sweating and evaporation of mouth water vapour. In the hours following exercise the body's metabolism is elevated and you will continue to lose fluids.
It is essential that you rehydrate following a workout and it is recommended that you replenish these stores with 150% of the fluids you have lost in the subsequent 2-4 hours. This means if you lose 1L of fluids that you should be consuming 1.5L of fluid following your workout.
If you find you can't drink that much water, you can try a sports drink or cordial. Yes - protein shakes count!
Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coke and energy drinks as these will act as diuretics and cause you to lose most of the fluid you have consumed!
If you are not sure how much fluid you lose during a workout an easy was to figure it out is to weigh yourself before and after the workout. The difference between pre and post weights will be how much fluid you have lost during the workout (making sure that you subtract any fluid that you consumed during the workout from the post-workout weight first).
