FLUID INTAKE & HOW DEHYDRATION AFFECTS YOUR BODY

Around 55-60% of human body consists of water. It is a no surprise that consuming enough liquid is important to keep vitality. But let’s dive deeper into why is water so important and what happens when you get dehydrated.

WHY IS WATER IMPORTANT?

Water has multiple important roles in your body:

• It brings nutrients to cells

• Carries waste products away from cells

• Lubricates joints, eyes and spinal cord

• Regulates body’s temperature

• Is needed for various chemical reactions

• Provides minerals

Different cells have different water contents. For example, muscle and brain tissue is about 73-75% water, while adipose tissue - 25%, blood - 83%, bones - 22%, human eye - about 95% water. Your body water levels will fluctuate on a daily basis, depending on how much fluid you take in vs how much fluid you lose. We consume water through foods and drinks but we lose water through sweating, breathing, excreting urine and feces, vomiting when ill. As mentioned before, we don’t consume water only by drinking it, we actually do eat it too. On average, we would eat about 1l of water/ day. Though, this is highly affected by your nutritional choices. For example, raw fruits and vegetables have high water contents, while nuts, seeds and high-fat foods in general, will have very little water. So if you are looking to amp up your water intake, consider adding raw veggies and fruits to your daily snack box.

WHAT IS AN OPTIMAL INTAKE?

Water requirements depend on individuals. A larger person will need more fluid than a smaller one. An active person will need more than a sedentary one. On average, an adult would require an intake of about 3l of water/ day. If we take into account the water consumed through food, it will add up to about 2l of drinking water. However, keep in mind, water requirements will change due to certain circumstances such as, heat and season, climate you are into, exercise activity, illness and more…

You can roughly calculate your water needs by multiplying your bodyweight (kg) with 30-40ml. But keep in mind previously mentioned circumstances under which your water requirements will increase. An active person who is training hard and sweats a lot can require up to 6l of water/ day.

If you are not entirely sure of whether your water intake is adequate to your needs, there is a simple way you can find out. It will require you to do some investigative work during your bathroom break. The color of your urine can tell you a lot more about your hydration needs than any formula ever will. More hydrated you are the lighter color your pee will be. If you see a strong yellow color, it is time for you to drink some water. If you see an orange or even brownish color, you are severely dehydrated and need water ASAP. Below you will find a urine color chart to help you assess your current hydration levels.

HOW DEHYDRATION AFFECTS YOUR BODY

Even a mild dehydration of 0.5% can negatively impact your physical function. Unfortunately, we don’t usually notice thirst until we have already lost about 1-2% of body water. By this point your athletic performance and cognitive function is already suffering. Reduced aerobic and muscular endurance, reduced muscle strength and motor skills, exhaustion, cramping, fatigue, reduced mental capacity are only few consequences of various levels of dehydration. Adequate levels of body water are necessary for not only good physical performance but also for cognitive function. If you remember from previous paragraphs, human brain consists of about 73% of water. A mild dehydration of 2% can interfere with your memory, attention and even mood. So if you want to perform well not only on the gymfloor but in your office too, you better keep your water bottle close!

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• fatigue

• headache

• dizziness

• low blood pressure

• rapid heart rate

• nausea

• dark and smelly urine

To some degree, your body can control the effects of dehydration, however, unlike other biological stimuli, your body cannot adapt to it. You can’t “teach“ yourself to become better at being dehydrated. As there is no adaptation happening to fluid loss, we must replenish our body water regularly.

HYDRATION DURING EXERCISE

General requirements for moderate-intensity activity under 2 hours or high-intensity activity under 1hour is:

0.5-1liters of water during activity + 0.5-1liters of water after activity + 0.25-0.5 liters of water at each meal throughout the day

If your workout durance goes beyond that and you sweat a lot during the session, you can consider adding an electrolyte tabs to your water or get yourself a carbohydrate/electrolyte drink. During sweating, we not only lose water but also electrolytes - minerals such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium that carry an electrical charge. They regulate fluid balance and pretty much every process in your body depends on them. We consume electrolytes through food and drinks and we lose them through waste excretion and sweating. Usually, it should not be a problem as during sweating, you lose more water than electrolytes, but an excess sweating can cause an electrolyte disbalance. In this case, you would need to replenish them. If you were about to join 2 consecutive hours of my BODYCOMBAT class, I would recommend you to get a sports drink.

TIPS TO STAYING HYDRATED

For many people, it is easy to forget to drink or they don’t recognize their thirst ques very well. Here are few tips to help you teach yourself to drink more and make it a habit!

• Make water accessible to you! Keep your water bottle on your desk in an easy to reach/ easy to see distance

• Get a big 2l water bottle and set a goal to finish it all throughout the day

• Use a reminder (set alarms if needed) on your phone or a water tracking app

• Have a glass of water with each meal and every cup of coffee

• Chop some raw veggies for your snack box!

Thank you so much for staying with me til the end of this article and I hope it inspires and educates you towards being more mindful of your hydration needs. Water plays such an important role in getting fit, sane and healthy.

If you enjoyed this post I will appreciate you sharing it with someone who might need to read it too. That is how we create a fitter world together!

Lots of Love,
Your Coach - Paula