Hydration

You asked for it! Here is a crash course on hydration 💦 You’ve probably heard that water makes up approximately 2/3 of overall bodyweight. The majority of this exists within individual cells. The rest is found mostly within the plasma of blood and the spaces between cells.

Water in our body helps to keep systems running such as forming blood and keeping things shifting throughout the body in necessary bodily functions. Water is continually being formed and broken down in the major metabolic pathways of our body.

This hydration can be found in various places, not just water. Some fruits and vegetables can contain up to 90% water. Other drinks such as tea and coffee provide hydration as well.

As bodies vary so widely, there is no uniform amount of water that everyone should consume. Generally, it is suggested to drink half an ounce to an ounce of water per pound of body weight. And you can observe your body’s reactions from there.

If you come into a workout already dehydrated, studies show that your body will have to work harder to achieve the same results. This will increase your heart rate and body temperature. Dehydration can also cause headaches, nausea, confusion and more.

It’s important to make sure you drink enough water when you’re working out or in a hot environment to make up for water loss. For more serious athletes, there are ways to more accurately decipher losses to account for.

If you are sweating more than normal such as in a warm environment or a difficult workout, you will need to compensate for this fluid loss. Our thirst is not typically equal to the fluid lost so this can cause additional dehydration.

Are you hydrating enough?