All athletes know that in order to perform their best they must focus on proper hydration, but how much should you drink when playing sports, training or working out? The answer isn't as simple as just drinking whenever you're thirsty since dehydration during competitive sports can begin long before you realize that you're running low on fluids. If you're wondering what your hydration routine should look like before, during and after a competition, read on to learn more about what you should be drinking and how much.

Athletic competition is demanding on your body and requires a different hydration regimen than if you were simply going about a normal low-key day. You'll need to increase not only your fluid intake, but you'll need to give your body vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to help your body perform and properly utilize the fluids you ingest.

Participating in sports causes your body to burn through fluids quickly. The harder you work, the more you'll sweat and become dehydrated. Sodium is one of the keys to helping your body retain and use fluids. If you don't have enough sodium in your system, you'll find that you sweat profusely and risk dehydration. In fact, if your sodium levels fall to dangerously low levels, you may run the risk of hyponatremia, a dangerous condition that can have grave consequences.

Water alone cannot supply your body with the sodium it needs. Before participating in sporting activities, it's wise to drink a beverage that can give your body the sodium it needs. TapouT sports performance beverage contains 240mg of natural sodium that will help your body regulate the fluids you consume.

Water also fails to supply your body with the electrolytes and vitamins that you sweat out during competition. Electrolytes are necessary for muscle performance and once you've sweated these minerals out of your system, you'll need to replenish them to keep performing at a high level. It's also important to resupply electrolytes after competitive activities to help your muscles, heart and nervous system recover. Your mind and body also need vitamins to stay sharp. A beverage that includes all four electrolytes and plenty of vitamins is essential to an athlete's hydration routine. Every bottle of TapouT contains electrolytes potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. Unlike many major sport performance beverages, TapouT has also been formulated with ample vitamins to keep your body, mind and immune system functioning their best while participating in sporting activities. TapouT contains vitamins A, C, E, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12.

You should consume plenty of water if you actively participate in sports, but water alone will not give you the hydration your body needs. Make sure that you supplement your daily hydration routine with TapouT sports beverages in order if give your body and mind the performance and recovery boost it needs.

Now that we know what we should be putting into our bodies when participating in sporting activities, how much should we drink and when?

The first thing you should consider is that your hydration routine shouldn't only revolve around the time when you're competing. Proper hydration should be a daily ritual regardless of how physically intense your chosen sport is. It's not enough to drink fluids just before your event.

Your day should start with fluids shortly after waking. This will help your body begin to retain water and supply your muscles with the fluids they'll require as you go about your day. Try starting the morning with a TapouT Wild Orange to not only give your body the fluids it needs but the sodium, electrolytes and vitamins your muscles and mind crave after a good night's rest.

After that, be sure to consume fluids regularly. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water approximately every hour or after trips to the restroom. If you find yourself with the frequent need to urinate or notice that your urine is clear every time you're in the bathroom, you may wish to scale back on the fluids until you find a comfortable level that works for your body. Frequent trips to the restroom can also be the result of crashing sodium levels, so experiment with supplementing your mid-day routine with a TapouT even on days when you're not competing.

It's important to give your body a hydration boost before a competition. Approximately an hour before training or participating in a sporting event, drinking a sports drink such as a TapouT Citrus Kick can give you easily absorbable calories for energy, electrolytes for muscle performance and sodium to help your body use the fluid you consume. You may want to replenish your fluids by taking regular sips during times of physical activity for moderate replenishment during competition.

Finally, it's vital to your health and recovery to replace the fluids, vitamins and electrolytes that you've lost through sweat during you sporting event. Almost every physical system in your body requires more than water to recover from physical exertion. Consuming a TapouT after games, competition and training can kick start to the recovery process and give your body the nutrients it requires after exercise.

TapouT Citrus Kick contains all of the vitamins, sodium and electrolytes your body craves before during and after competition along with 120 calories for energy. If you're looking for a low-sugar option for off days, both TapouT Cherry Lemonade Blast and Wild Orange flavors contain the same formula of vitamins, electrolytes and sodium with only 10 calories per bottle.