13 Post-Gym Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Workout

You reach for a sports drink

While it’s important to stay hydrated after a workout—even a 1 percent decrease in hydration can significantly impact your athletic performance—you probably don’t need a sports drink, which can contain unnecessary calories. You don’t need to replace electrolytes unless you’ve had an intense workout that lasted more than an hour, so plain water is probably sufficient, says Jessica Crandall, RDN, CDE, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “I just encourage hydration through water because that’s the best way to get adequately hydrated,” she says.

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