Did you know your body depends on water to survive? Every single cell, tissue and organ that makes up your body needs water to function properly. For an example, your body uses water to flush out waste, lubricate your joints and maintain its overall body temperature. It goes without saying that water is essential for overall good health. However, for many, drinking enough water to stay hydrated can be difficult.
According to the CDC, daily fluid intake is defined as the amount of water consumed from plain drinking water, other beverages, and food. Similar to other health guidelines, how much hydration your specific body needs to function at its best depends on many different factors. Gender, body weight, age, activity levels, climate you are in and overall health all influence your unique individual needs. Whether you are running uphill on a trail alongside a mountain or pedaling with all of your might in spin class – any activity that makes you break a sweat means you need to step up your plain water intake. Why? Because believe it or not, sweat is made almost completely of body water, and it is vital to replace any fluid loss from your workout. Signs of dehydration are:
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Dry mouth
- Extreme thirst
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Irregular heartbeat
- Dark urine color
Like we mentioned, hydration is necessary for survival. The cells in your body contain and are surrounded by water. When you are dehydrated, those cells are less permeable, meaning they have trouble absorbing nutrients and removing waste. When you keep yourself hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day, you are helping your body to function at its very best. In fact, you may even experience some impressive health benefits, which can include:
Hydration Can Improve Physical Performance
Did you know that if you lose as little as 2% of your body’s water content, dehydration can have a noticeable effect? However, it is not uncommon for athletes and gym enthusiasts alike to lose up to 6-10% of their water weight via sweat from an intense workout which can lead to increased fatigue and reduced motivation. Keeping hydrated will help to maximize your physical performance at the gym to kick fatigue to the curb.
Water Can Help to Keep Your Body Cool
Have you ever noticed that your face tends to get a little red during physical activity? That is because your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the skin’s surface which results in more blood flow. However, when you are dehydrated, it takes a much higher environmental temperature to trigger your blood vessels to widen, so you are bound to stay hotter. Keeping your body hydrated will improve blood circulation which will help to keep your body cool.
Hydration Helps Muscles and Joints to Work Better
When you are well hydrated, the water outside and inside the cells of contracting muscles provides adequate nutrients throughout your body and removes wastes efficiently to help you to perform better. Water also plays an important role lubricating your joints, making it much easier to move.
Our bodies are roughly 60% water. Maintaining the correct balance of water and electrolytes – such as sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium – allows various systems to function properly. Since every single system in the body depends on water to function, water is of the utmost importance. Here are some tips for staying hydrated!
Drink More Water
Most of us know the recommendation to drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. However, since everyone is different, individual fluid needs vary. The Institute of Medicine has set a general recommendation for healthy adults, suggesting women should consume roughly 91 fluid ounces per day and men should consume roughly 125 fluid ounces per day. The key is to pay attention to how often you are urinating. If you urinate every 2-4 hours, you are probably doing your part to stay hydrated by drinking enough water. If you are not urinating this frequently, your body more than likely is telling you to drink water and get enough fluid!
Consume a Variety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Did you know that all foods contain water? Fresh fruits and veggies are at the top of the list containing 80-98% water. With that in mind, it is a no-brainer why consuming fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to help keep your body hydrated. In fact, it is estimated that around 20% of our daily water intake comes from foods. To help combat dehydration, fuel your body with healthy foods with a high water content like watermelon, cucumber, celery, broccoli, spinach and strawberries.
Try Hydration Supplements
Another great way to stay hydrated is simply with hydration supplements. These supplements are loaded with body-nourishing electrolytes that help your body to absorb fluids like water. So naturally, by increasing your sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium intake, your body will hold onto more water, keeping you hydrated throughout the day. Look for electrolyte supplements that are designed to be fast-acting and potent like Adapted Nutrition’s Hi Lyte Concentrate. It can be added to any liquid anywhere, at any time to create a powerful, natural electrolyte drink that is completely absorbed by the body to support a healthy and active lifestyle. In addition, this powerful supplement has 3X the electrolytes of commercial sports drinks with absolutely no added sugar, no carbs, and no calories making it an ideal choice to not only combat dehydration, but to stick to special low-sugar or low-carb diets like Keto.
In Closing
Hydration is important. Plain and simple. Whether you are exerting tons of energy climbing Mount Everest or if you are simply taking a stroll in the summer heat, drinking water to keep yourself hydrated will help your body to function properly.
Staying hydrated has never been easier! Drink more water, consume a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, or try incorporating amazing electrolyte supplements into your diet from an exceptional company like Adapted Nutrition to kick dehydration to the curb.