HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — When it comes to hydration, it’s best to get your fair share of water every day. But there are other things you can do to stay hydrated during the hot and humid summer.

“When it comes to staying hydrated, we recommend that you drink at least 64 ounces of water during the day,” said Nicholas Chuck, a physician assistant at Riverside Health System, told 10 On Your Side about best practices to stay hydrated during the summer.

“You can also throw in, maybe, like a bottle or two of Gatorade Zero, just to replenish the electrolytes that we are losing through sweat,” he said. “Not only that, it keeps the body flowing, it keep the body recharged, and it helps you to produce and sweat all the nasty substances throughout the day.”

Chuck said coconut water also has electrolytes. He also said fruits with high water content, such as watermelon, also keep people hydrated.

Electrolytes

What, exactly, are electrolytes?

“Sodium, potassium and some calcium and the natural minerals that we don’t normally get from our body itself being produced,” he said.

Chuck said there are huge indicators that someone is dehydrated.

“They would experience weakness, fatigue,” he said. “They could experience low blood pressure. They can have the onset of a headache and shortness of breath. And when your body starts sweating, and that’s the sign there, but also when your body stops producing sweat, … it comes a serious sign that you’re moments away from having heatstroke, heat exhaustion.”

Alcohol and hydration

What role does alcohol play in hydration?

“Alcohol makes you more dehydrated,” Chuck said. ” because your body flushes it out instantly. … It’s pulling all those fluids from you that your body naturally needs and is making you more dehydrated.”

He said energy drinks with high amounts of caffeine can also dehydrate people.

Tracking hydration

When it comes to monitoring hydration, urine tests may not be a fully accurate way.

“When it comes to the urine tests, which is not always a true indication of hydration, … it is useful in most circumstances,” Chuck said. “The more water that you drink, the clearer your urine becomes. and so, that’s a good sign of hydration. And when you are dehydrated, the darker your urine will become. It will go from a light yellow to gold, to almost dark amber in situations with severe dehydration.”

He said people who have trouble drinking plain water can drink sparkling water or flavored water as a substitute, especially if those drinks don’t have added sugar.

In the end, though, Chuck comes back to what he says is the best hydration source.

“The biggest thing I would recommend for people is … water over everything,” Chuck said. “Water over everything because those are the products — the juices, the energy drinks — they have high amounts of sugar, and that can lead to other [negative] outcomes. Energy drinks also have high amounts of caffeine, which also can dehydrate you.”