6:49
Most of us know that hydration of the body is an important process.. After all, about 60% of our body is made up of water, but not all of us are in control of how to properly drink liquids in an organized manner.
Consequences of dehydration
To understand why avoiding the state of dehydration is important, we just need to look at its consequences. There are many problems associated with lack of moisture., including extreme thirst, dizziness and migraines, fatigue, rapid pulse, decreased skin elasticity, low blood pressure, nausea, and many other unwanted symptoms. Simply put, we need regular lubricationto keep our motors running.
The body reminds of dehydration by thirst
If you feel thirsty, it means that you are already dehydrated. You always need to pre-moisturize. Stay one step ahead.
The feeling of thirst can lead to loss of up to 25% of cognitive and physical abilities especially on hot and humid days or even on cold days when playing sports. On a typical day, we lose an average of two liters of water through breathing, sweating and going to the toilet.
If you are suffering from an illness, your body is unable to tell you to drink fluids at the right time. Alcohol and medications can also prevent your body from signaling the need for extra hydration. If you know that your day will include a hard workout and a lot of sweating, then regular water intake may be a good idea. This will help ensure you start your workout hydrated, which will improve performance and reduce your overall risk of injury.
Identifying signs of dehydration
Obvious signs of dehydration may include dizziness or feeling faint. One of the most important parts of developing good fluid habits is being able to recognize the early signs of dehydration. Determining your hydration level is simple – based on the color of your urine. If your urine is light yellowthen you are hydrated. However, for more accurate measurements, you can measure your bare weight before and after your workout. The difference between the weight will give the amount of lost fluid that needs to be replaced. Remember that it is necessary to replace not only water, but also electrolytes.
Dark urine indicates dehydration. The frequency of sweating and the amount of electrolytes in sweat varies greatly depending on the individual, as well as temperature, humidity, height, clothing, genetics and physical fitness. To find out how much water do you need to replace during long workoutsa simple sweat test can be done.
What is a sweat test? This is an easy way to figure out how much water to replace during long workouts. To perform a sweat test, start by measuring your weight (without clothes, of course) after urinating. Then exercise for about an hour and note the amount of liquid you drink during this period of time. At the end of the hour, wipe off any excess sweat and make the following calculations.
- Subtract the weight before workout from weight after workout. Convert the resulting weight to grams.
- Add any grams of liquidthat you drank to the figure above. This will give you the amount of fluid in grams your body needs per hour.
- Divide this number by threeso that you can consume fluids in intervals of 20 minutes.
Drink water regularly throughout the day based on your thirst. The more you sweat from exercise or exposure to heat, the more important hydration becomes. and replacement of electrolytes. In these cases, it is important to develop a schedule for fluid intake and electrolyte replacement to avoid dehydration.
Do Athletes Need More Water?
Athletes need more water, but the same goes for anyone who sweats a lot. With this it should be noted that everyone needs to be hydrated with electrolytesto optimize your daily life.
Large loss of water through sweat increase the need for hydrationtherefore active individuals should pay special attention to hydration both during and outside of exercise. It’s very important to note that good hydration practices include not only what you drink during exercise, but also staying hydrated throughout the rest of the day.
Is water just for hydration?
During long workouts or exercises, over-hydration with water alone can be a problem. This will lead to a dilution of electrolytes in our body and a serious condition.called hyponatremia. The longer you train and the more you sweat, the more important electrolyte replacement becomes.
The body requires important minerals to maintain its performance.including sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium. During longer (an hour or more) and more intense workouts, when sweat loss and therefore electrolyte loss is high, sodium and chloride are lost the most and therefore should be the focus for replacement.
Changing electrolytes may require some experimentation. It is recommended to start with 250-300 mg of sodium per hour, unless you are sweating heavily (for example, if after exercise there are white stripes on clothes), then you need to increase consumption.
We may not realize it, but we lose a significant amount of water during sleep through sweat and also we lose significant amounts of water vapor as a result of breathing. If we add a hot room to the equation, our hydration levels are depleted before we even get out of bed.
By understanding the signs of dehydration, scheduling appropriate water and electrolyte intake, and recognizing that intense work, exercise, and environmental temperatures can increase our need for minerals, we can be better prepared for the challenges of each day.
