Summer, sun and heat: for many people, the hot months are the best time of the year. Now it is important to drink enough – but what is the best way to do this?
What many people don’t know is that water alone is often not enough. To stay healthy, the body needs important minerals as well as sufficient fluids.
We give you drinking tips to help you get through the summer. And we reveal a great recipe for a delicious and healthy do-it-yourself drink that our naturopath Markus Weingärtner has created for you.
But first things first…
What actually happens when you sweat?
Your body temperature is normally around 37 degrees Celsius. But when you are active, for example when exercising or when it is hot outside, your temperature rises slightly. To prevent overheating, your body uses a clever mechanism: it produces sweat. Many people find this unpleasant, but it has a positive effect. When sweat evaporates on the skin, it cools it down. This helps to regulate body temperature.1
More than just water: what’s in your sweat
Sweat consists of approximately 99 percent water. It tastes salty because the body also excretes minerals with the fluid: mainly sodium and chloride, but also magnesium, potassium and calcium2. Trace elements such as zinc3 can also be lost through sweating.
How much sweat do you lose every day?
Sweating is completely normal. Even if you are not physically active, your body produces around 100 to 200 millilitres of sweat per day – you even lose a certain amount of fluid at night.1,2 When exercising, this loss can increase to around one litre per hour. Those who exercise or work hard in high temperatures can sweat 2-4 litres or more per hour. 4
How much fluid is enough in summer?
As a general rule, it is advisable to drink at least 1.5 litres of fluid per day. However, when exercising and in very hot weather, you should drink significantly more – two to three litres 6or even more. 7
Important: If you have pre-existing conditions such as heart or kidney problems, you should consult your doctor or therapist to determine the right amount of fluid to drink.
What about minerals?
Experts recommend covering your daily fluid requirements with calorie-free or low-calorie drinks. These include, for example6:
- Tap or mineral water
- Unsweetened (herbal and fruit) teas
- Diluted fruit juice spritzers
However, water alone is not enough in hot weather. This is because when we sweat, we lose not only fluid but also the above-mentioned mineral salts, which need to be replaced. When minerals are dissolved in water, they are referred to as electrolytes. 8
You can supply your body with sodium (and chloride) by eating foods that contain salt. However, many people often consume too little magnesium 9 and, in some cases, too little calcium 10 . Water alone cannot meet your daily requirements: 100 grams (g) of tap water contain around 1 milligram (mg) of magnesium. One litre of water therefore provides around 10 mg of the mineral. 11 By way of comparison, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends that adults consume 300 mg of magnesium per day .12
When the body lacks balance: consequences of electrolyte deficiency
But what exactly can happen when the body has too few minerals available? Possible symptoms that may occur include, for example 8,13:
- Muscle weakness and cramps, especially calf cramps
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Fatigue, as magnesium deficiency impairs energy metabolism
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Circulatory failure
But don’t worry – with our tips, you can effectively prevent electrolyte deficiency on hot days!
How to replace lost minerals
Especially in summer, a drinking regimen can help you meet your daily mineral requirements: it not only provides you with sufficient fluids, but also supplies important electrolytes such as magnesium and calcium.
Recommendation from our naturopath Markus Weingärtner:
Tip: Instructions for a 1.5 litre daily drinking regimen
- 1.5 litres of tap water
- 5 tablets of Schuessler salt No. 2 (calcium phosphoricum)
- 5 tablets of Schuessler salt No. 7 (magnesium phosphoricum)
- 5 tablets of Schuessler salt No. 8 (sodium chloratum)
- Open 2 capsules of rubyni® CaMag MINERALSTOFFE (natural calcium & magnesium) and use the powder
- Juice of ½ – 1 lemon (freshly squeezed)
- Pinch of unrefined salt (optional)
Dissolve all ingredients thoroughly in water. Drink throughout the day. During prolonged periods of hot weather, you are welcome to prepare our thirst quencher daily. However, please note: The drinking cure alone is probably not enough to meet your daily fluid requirements. Therefore, supplement it with suitable beverages.
To quench your thirst, for enjoyment: drinks with that certain something
Want to give your taste buds something new every now and then? In just a few simple steps, you can have healthy summer drinks on the table that quench your thirst—and are also a treat:
- Infused Water: with
- fresh fruit (e.g. apple pieces, strawberries, orange or lemon slices)
- Vegetables (e.g. cucumber or carrot)
- Herbs (such as mint, thyme or lemon balm)
– preferably organic and thoroughly rinsed. Flavored tap or mineral water should be chilled well and not left standing for too long to prevent germs from growing.14
- Juice spritzers: The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends one part juice to three parts water to keep sugar levels low. When exercising, a higher juice ratio (1:1 or 1:2) may be beneficial to provide the body with energy and minerals.15
Tip: Avoid alcoholic or sugary drinks in hot weather. These are not only unhealthy, but also dehydrating.18
Coffee and black tea should be consumed in moderation. Large amounts of caffeine can cause sweating.16
Not everything at once: timing is key!
Your body can only absorb and process a limited amount of fluid at once. Therefore, distribute your fluid intake evenly throughout the day. Normally, you should drink no more than about 0.7 to 1 liter of water per hour. In extreme heat, it’s best to drink about 200 milliliters of water every 15 to 20 minutes to optimally support your body.6
Tip: If you sweat a lot, it’s best to choose an isotonic drink. Isotonic means that the concentration of minerals—the ratio of electrolytes to fluid—corresponds to that of human blood.17
Sources:
1 Netdoktor.de. Schwitzen. Stand: 09.07.2025. Hrsg.: BurdaVerlag Publishing GmbH. https://www.netdoktor.de/symptome/schwitzen/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
2 DocCheck Flexikon. Schweiß. Stand: 21.03.2024. Hrsg.: DocCheck Community GmbH. https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Schwei%C3%9F
3 Verbraucherzentrale.de. Mineralstoffverluste durch starkes Schwitzen. Stand: 12.04.2021. https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/faq/lebensmittel/mineralstoffverluste-durch-starkes-schwitzen-22601, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
4 DocCheck Flexikon. Schwitzen. Stand: 21.03.2024. Hrsg.: DocCheck Community GmbH. https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Schwitzen, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
5 Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen (IQWiG). Flüssigkeitsmangel (Dehydration). Stand: 18.10.2023. https://www.gesundheitsinformation.de/im-alltag-genug-trinken-tipps-und-hilfen.html, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
6 Bundesinstitut für öffentliche Gesundheit. Richtiges Trinken bei Hitze. https://www.gesund-aktiv-aelter-werden.de/gesundheitsthemen/hitze-und-gesundheit/richtiges-trinken-bei-hitze/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
7 Verbraucherzentrale.de. Wie viel sollte man am Tag trinken? Stand: 04.02.2025. Hrsg.: Verbraucherzentrale NRW e.V. https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/gesund-ernaehren/wie-viel-sollte-man-am-tag-trinken-24202, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
8 AOK.de. Elektrolyte – die lebenswichtigen Ionen. Stand: 18.04.2023. https://www.aok.de/pk/magazin/ernaehrung/gesunde-ernaehrung/was-sind-elektrolyte/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
9 Rondanelli M. An update on magnesium and bone health. Biometals. 2021 May 6; 34(4): 715–736. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8313472/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
10 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) e. V. Calcium – FAQs. Stand: 11.03.2024. https://www.dge.de/gesunde-ernaehrung/faq/calcium/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
11 IVARIO Dienstleistungen GmbH. Magnesium im Trinkwasser. https://www.wassertest-online.de/trinkwasser-wiki/magnesium-im-trinkwasser.html, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
12 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) e. V. Magnesium – Referenzwert. Stand: 2021. https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/magnesium/, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
13 Asklepios.com. Störungen des Mineralhaushalts. Hrsg.: Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA. https://www.asklepios.com/konzern/diagnosen/nieren-unterkoerper/nieren/elektrolytstoerungen, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
14 Verbraucherzentrale. Infused Water: Rezepte für Wasser mit Geschmack. Stand: 11.03.2025. Hrsg.: Verbraucherzentrale NRW e.V. https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/gesund-ernaehren/infused-water-rezepte-fuer-wasser-mit-geschmack-37137, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
15 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) e. V. DGE-Ernährungskreis: Getränke. Stand: 2024. https://www.dge.de/gesunde-ernaehrung/gut-essen-und-trinken/dge-ernaehrungskreis/getraenke/
16 Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR). Wie wirkt Koffein? Stand: 27.07.2023. https://www.bfr.bund.de/presse/mediathek/video/wie-wirkt-koffein/
17 AOK.de. Isotonische Getränke. https://www.deine-gesundheitswelt.de/balance-ernaehrung/isotonische-getraenke, zuletzt abgerufen am 04.08.2025
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