We have all heard the health experts bleat on about how little water we drink. Frankly, it’s gotten a little boring: Another stick for the heath-conscious crowd to beat normal, busy people with.

Except, just for a moment, look past the holier-than-thou attitude of personal trainers and nutritionists. Ignore the perfect teeth, hair and body. It turns out that there is some scientific proof behind the mantras.

We spoke to Maximuscle expert Lynn Clay on the matter and she laid down the facts.

Why feeling thirsty isn't enough

You may have noticed this clever trick our body pulls when we need a drink – feeling thirsty.

Thirst is great for staving off death. While we all want to do that we need a little more if we want to get the best from playing, training and gym sessions.

Drinking using thirst as an indicator means you start exercise already dehydrated. Everyone is different so it’s hard to make a specific recommendation but drinking 2-3 litres of fluid per day is a good target.

Sip this across the day, but don’t just take it for granted that you will achieve this. Have a strategy.

Although water is best for daytime drinking, it doesn’t have to make up your entire fluid intake. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee can count towards your fluid intake, but only to a certain point. 3 cups is a good cut off point, as large amounts of caffeine can have a diuretic effect. If you want to have a hot drink, opt for green, peppermint or fruit tea instead.

How much to drink during play?

When you’re out in the hot weather the bodies need for fluid increases because we sweat more. An increased sweat rate leads to loss of not only water but also important minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Studies in endurance athletes have shown fluid losses equal to just 2% of bodyweight have a detrimental effect on performance.

So just how much should you drink to avoid dehydration?

We all sweat at different rates, so there are no fixed rules. Researchers at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Loughborough University have found out a simple plan to judge your own needs. To find out accurately take the following simple steps:

1. Weigh yourself before you go out for a tough training session or match.
2. Train as normal.
3. Weigh yourself immediately after you come off the pitch.

For each kilogram of weight drink 1 litre of fluid in addition to your normal daily intake. When the weather is warm increase this to 1.2 litres per kilogram. In extreme heat – 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius) or more – drink 1.5 litres per kilogram.

Ideally you will get this fluid during the session. With a bottle on the boundary edge or well timed drinks breaks. However, any fluid you don’t drink during the game or training session can be topped up at a break in play: for example at tea.

What drink is best?

There is a lot of jargon and market around different sports drinks.

Certainly research shows clear performance advantages in endurance athletes when consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink compared to water. Here are the conclusions.

During endurance exercise, a 6-8% carbohydrate solution works best. Most pre-bottled drinks are “isotonic” or in balance like this. Maximuscle Viper Active is one option that you can mix to your requirement.

After exercise a higher concentration aids transportation of carbohydrate to the muscles for storage and recovery. These “hypertonic” drinks and are generally mixed at a concentration of between 12 and 15%. Recovermax contains both carbs and protein to accelerate muscle and immune recovery.

Electrolyte drinks are not essential for short moderate paced training sessions in temperate conditions but longer sessions in hotter conditions increase our need to replace these important salts.