In Motion Fitness Wagga director and personal trainer Mick Wainwright said water is the most overlooked but necessary nutrient for anyone when exercising.

"Your water intake is vital whilst exercising," he said.

"As you lose water from your body via sweat, you'll need to replace that fluid with new water to stay healthy and stave off the dangerous effects of dehydration."

Mr Wainwright said dehydration is another risk which can occur when you neglect your hydration needs.

"[Dehydration can lead to] loss of coordination, muscle fatigue, heat illness, confusion, cramps and exhaustion and an inability to regulate your body temperature, all of which can affect your athletic performance and make you sick," he said.

But it doesn't stop there, with water consumption also playing a role in both muscle repair and growth.

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"When you exercise, particularly if the exercise is intense, you might experience minor muscle injuries or tears. To fix these injuries, your body needs to synthesise protein, which is the building block of muscle,," Mr Wainwright said.

"If your cells don't have enough water in them, protein synthesis can be delayed. If you're dehydrated, your body may even start breaking down muscle tissue, which can undermine your fitness goals and make your muscles weaker.

"Water also helps carry nutrients, electrolytes and virtually every other substance in your body to your muscles and organs.

"As you exercise, your heart rate increases so your muscles can get a quick supply of blood and oxygen.

"But if you don't drink enough water, this process becomes less efficient. The result can be muscle pain, spasms, cramps and slowed muscle growth."

Snap Fitness owner Nic Gannon said the amount of water one should consume depends on the individual.

"The general rule of thumb for drinking water is, you should divide your weight in kilograms by 0.033 and that will tell you how many millilitres of water you should drink a day," he said.

Mr Gannon said water said water should be a top priority when working out.

"It's very detrimental if you don't drink enough fluid before, during and after working out," he said.

"Your body temperature and heart rate may rise.

"That's because when the total amount of water in your body is below the normal level (hypohydration) your body can't properly regulate heat."

And the list of consequences goes on.

"You may feel more fatigued than usual," he said.

"You may not be able to think clearly and your motor control, decision-making abilities and concentration may be impaired.

"Your body's functions may slow down- this includes gastric emptying, so you may feel uncomfortable in your stomach."

With summer upon us and many heading outdoors to workout, Mr Gannon said hydration becomes even more of a significant factor.

"The impact [of a lack of water] is even worse when you're active and dehydrated in hot conditions like Wagga in the summertime," he said.

"Being well hydrated will help improve performance as it will decrease the risk of heat stress and help maintain normal muscle function and prevent importance due to dehydration.

"I'd suggest that if you are going to workout outside that you do so early morning or late evening and always remember to rehydrate and replace what your body loses in sweat.'

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