Drink Water

Hydration for Optimal Health

A healthy body is not just about eating right, it’s also about staying hydrated.

Hydration is key for optimal health, as water is essential for survival and serves a multitude of important purposes in the body. It regulates body temperature, protects organs and tissues, carries oxygen to cells, lubricates joints, and removes waste products. In the extreme, failing to stay hydrated can lead to serious health conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and even kidney failure, seizures and death.

But how much water should you consume each day?
While eight glasses of water a day has become a regular recommendation, this amount is largely untested and varies greatly among individuals - depending on gender, age, lifestyle, environment, and activity level. On average, the recommended intake for men is 125-130 ounces (16 cups) and for women 91-95 ounces (12 cups) per day. This includes liquid from food and drink sources, with roughly 20% from food and 80% from beverages (including caffeinated drinks).

So why is it important to drink enough water?
The human body is composed of approximately 60% water, and it needs to be continually replenished to stay alive. Fluid levels within our bodies vacillate as we lose and gain water. This vital liquid is necessary for biological functions such as maintaining core body temperature, transporting nutrients, removing waste, and balancing pH levels. Additionally, drinking water offers other benefits such as aiding digestion, preventing constipation, and maintaining healthy blood pressure and electrolyte balance.

Now, where do we lose this water?
It is secreted via sweat, urination, and trans epidermal water loss. We consume water through food, drinks, and metabolic processes.

An easy way to check your hydration status is to look at the color of your urine.
If it's light yellow, you're probably hydrated.
Dark yellow or brown indicates dehydration. Weighing yourself before and after a workout is another way to monitor and adjust water intake. Of course, do not forget to trust your thirst levels - as this is likely a sign from your body that it needs to be replenished.

With that said, hydration can make or break performance, as a dehydrated athlete is likely to experience reduced strength, power, and high-intensity endurance of up to 10%. Symptoms such as slower reaction time, diminished tracking, memory and attention can result in cognitive effects. If you are running shorter than an hour, water should suffice.

However, if you are doing prolonged exercise, in particular in hot weather, sports drinks may be necessary to replace fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat. Hyponatremia is a condition that can occur from drinking too much water - possibly with little or no sodium replacement from sweat. Endurance athletes in particular are susceptible, as well as females and children due to the fact that they often sweat less and have less liquid in their bodies.

Drinking more water can also be a weight loss intervention, as replacing high-calorie beverages can reduce your calorie intake. Additionally, when pre-meal water is consumed, it helps to decrease appetite and prevent mistaken hunger signals.

Research has even found that participants on a low-calorie diet who drank more than 500 ml of water before each meal lost more weight. While water is a vital and necessary part of our lives, it is important to stay within the safe range - maintaining hydration without excessive overhydration.

The benefits from drinking water are:
- helping to carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
- eliminate bacteria from the bladder
- aid in digestion and prevent constipation
- regulate blood pressure,
- dampen joint movement
- protect organs and tissues
- thermoregulate and maintain electrolyte balance (sodium)

Water is lost primarily through sweating, urinating/excretion, transepidermal water loss and continuous evaporation from the skin and lungs (from sweating and breathing). Water can then be gained from food, beverages, and metabolic processes (such as the oxidation of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats).

Additional Resources
1. https://www.vidrate.com/blogs/news/the-importance-of-hydration-for-optimal-health
2. https://www.hydrationforhealth.com/en/why-hydration/everyday-hydration/?gclid=CjwKCAjw9J2iBhBPEiwAErwpeQcR1MYhFvqCnYmLaKIu5f5x7b1j67sq_GDWiW5CV2S9ax9jCLxdOxoC454QAvD_BwE