The Effects Of Hydration On Performance & Health
It’s no secret that our body is mainly made out of water.
We have heard it over and over again that we need to hydrate, refill, and rejuvenate our systems with a consistent flow of water.
However, even though drinking water seems natural and easy, we’ve entered a day-to-day life where it’s not as simple as it may sound. Actually, developing the habit to be able to effectively hydrate to a point where your health is no longer at a critical state may be harder than it actually sounds!
Since we indulge so many diuretic drinks in our daily lives, like coffee and sodas, the constant need to counteract that dehydration is putting our body in a consistent state of urgency.
Hydration in our Daily Lives
Even if you aren’t an elite athlete, your body can still be dehydrated—and you’ll feel it too.
Some effects of dehydration include a:
- Reduction in blood volume throughout the body
- Decrease in blood flow to the skin
- Reduction in sweat rate as well as heat dissipation
- Increase in core temperature and your body’s rate of glycogen use
Not only do these dehydration effects lead to poor performance from an athletic standpoint, but it can also affect our overall health.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at studies conducted that have given us data on hydration. Hopefully, their findings can help point us in the right direction when it comes to hydrating enough and effectively in our everyday lives.
How much?
“The Institute of Medicine has declared an estimated ideal volume of water that people should consume daily. Male adults above the age of 18 should consume about 4 liters (around 16 glasses). Females above the age of 18 should drink about 3 liters (around 13 glasses) of water.”
Why?
Hydration has some major effects on an individual’s athletic performance.
Not only does hydration and water help maintain your body’s blood volume, but it also helps your body stay cool and contract its muscles as it should (which is especially important while performing physical activity.
Sinceyou tend to perspire (some more than others) while you exercise, as a way for your body to keep a regulated body temperature, then you need to consuming enough replenishing liquids (like water and other electrolyte sports drinks) to help replace the water loss.
What happens if you don’t?
Overheating and some other symptoms of dehydration can include:
“tachycardia, hypotension, hyperventilation, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures and coma (4).
Since hydration is such a pivotal part of physical activity, that means it can also have a very negative effect on performance.
Let’s talk science.
H20, or water, plays a part in a large number of chemical reactions—which can have a very impactful presence on athletic performance.
Not drinking enough water can lead to areduction in blood volume, skin blood flow, sweat rate, and heat dissipation. It can also lead to aninflux of your body’s core temperature and rate of glycogen use.
In simple terms, it also decreases the amount of blood returning to the heart—which can be quite dangerous!
So, hydration is important—what do we do now?
Drink water! Seriously, go fill up a reusable water right now and start drinking during the day!
If you need help with incorporating that habit within your everyday routine, there are a few, easy tips and tricks that can help you get and stay hydrated without making any major life changes.
Not only can carrying a water bottle around with you be a source of hydration, but it can also be a reminder. You can also remind yourself to drink with hydration apps and other tools. You can even push yourself by adding deadlines to having to drink a certain amount of water before lunch!
Here are a few other ways to help you out: 40 Healthy Tips to Drink More Water.
Not only can you rehydrate simply by drinking water, but there are also quite a number of methods you can implement in your daily life to help remind you to rehydrate or hydrate as you go about your routine.
For example, ourlatestGymtech Pro product will feature not only next-generation sportswear with EMS but also cutting-edge technology that can focus on helping you stay on top of your daily hydration commitment.
Our product works with your skin (less work for you) to track your body’s hydration levels automatically. It measures the data and keeps you informed, letting you know instantly if you’re dehydrated while training.
When you’re training, this can be especially helpful since you’re most likely focusing on so many other things. This is a BIG improvement to how people train, as this is the kind of valuable data that’s actionable immediately DURING your session, and also a great metric to track long-term.
