A Little Lesson On Good Old H2O

Water is one of the most important aspects of a nutritional program yet many people are often in a dehydrated state. The average adult in North America only consume 1.8 cups of water daily, which is significantly under the recommended 8.5 cups1. But, what’s the big deal? What does hydration have to do with your health?

What is dehydration? Dehydration is a point where you have lost 1% of your total body water. Yes, it’s really that low, especially taking into consideration that the average person has 50-70% of their total mass as water. This 1% loss of water can happen easily, and people often say that they only drink water when they are thirsty. The issue is your body signals you with thirst when you hit 2% water loss, so you are already dehydrated when you are thirsty.

A good guide to tell you if you are getting dehydrated is urine colour. Simply put, the darker your urine is, the more dehydrated you are getting, thirsty or not. But, you can still have too much of a good thing. Over hydration is also a problem as well, so it is important to know when to cut back on your water if this happens.

Urine colour can tell you a lot about what is going on with your body.

What happens when you are dehydrated? Because your body has less water, it is seen that blood viscosity, or blood thickness, increases which will force your heart to work harder. Also, general healing can be disrupted with thicker blood as it takes longer for white blood cells and platelets to reach the site of injury.

Dehydration can look a lot like symptoms of high stress. You can get variable mood swings, fatigue, general aches and pains, and even muscle cramping. However, it can also cause bad breath, dry skin, dizziness, constipation, and difficulties concentrating, just to name off a few things.

Dehydration can also be life-threatening. Severe levels of dehydration can cause very low blood pressure, increased breathing and heart rate, inability to urinate, fever, and even unconsciousness2.

What causes dehydration? Maybe you drink lots of water and have good amounts of fruits and veggies but maybe you are always thirsty? Well, there are a few things it could be related to.

1. You may be losing too much fluid: When people have stomach flu or diarrhea, they are losing more fluids then they are able to replenish. Similarly, sweating can cause dehydration, so it is important to replenish if you are frequent exerciser or find you sweat more during hotter days than those who don’t.

2. Medical condition: it is common that those with Diabetes Mellitus take medications that cause them to urinate more, which can cause dehydration. If a side effect of any medication you are taking is ‘increased urination’, that may be your reason for feeling thirsty all the time.

3. Non-medical related frequent urination: alcohol intake can increase urination. If you are drinking, it is important to consider how hydrated you are before you start or even add have a glass of water in-between each alcoholic drink3.

Can I drink sport drinks to help with dehydration when I workout?

Juice and sport drinks are meant for a quick energy boost, not to give you the water that you are losing while you are working out.

The simple answer is no. Sports drinks don’t help with dehydration. Full of sugar and citric acid, these are just drinks that are going to spike your blood sugar levels to make you feel awake. The original sports drink was meant for high-level athletes that deplete their water and electrolyte levels so quickly that they need a combination drink to replenish to keep performance up4. It was not meant for the average person working out in the gym for 45 minutes to an hour. Similarly, things like fruit juices and sodas will work just as well as any sports drink to rehydrate. You’re better off sticking with the good old H2O in the water fountains in your gyms facility.

References:

1. Human Hydration: Are we drinking enough? (2018, October 19). Retrieved from https://www.waterlogic.com/en-us/resources/human-hydration-are-we-drinking-enough/

2. What Happens to Your Body When You're Dehydrated. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://articles.mercola.com/dehydration-symptoms.aspx

3. Liquid I.V. (n.d.). 8 Surprising Causes of Dehydration. Retrieved from https://liquid-iv.com/blogs/news/8-surprising-causes-of-dehydration/

4. Dolci, A. (2016, November 08). You've been sold a myth about sports drinks. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/you-ve-been-sold-a-myth-about-sports-drinks-and-it-could-be-slowing-you-down-a7402121.html