Water is arguably more important to humans than food, as two thirds of human body weight is composed of water. Water is required for circulation and respiration, it is also necessary in the process of converting food to energy.
For dehydration to occur, more water must be lost than is taken in. The human body can survive for about 2-4 days without water before death (depending on the temperature) but can survive for many weeks without food (dependent on the size of the person and the amount of fat stores they have).
Water is therefore said to be the most important nutrient for the human body besides oxygen. Furthermore, dehydration of just 2.5% of your body weight can lead to 25% loss in efficiency.
I’m sure many of you are reading this and thinking that January is the wrong time of year for this post as dehydration is much more likely in the summer. However, dehydration can occur at any time, and it is often during colder periods that people become dehydrated as they do not think they need to be drinking constantly. For this reason, even in the winter it is important to carry a water bottle with you during exercise sessions; and if possible at all times. By keeping a bottle of water with you it is possible to take small sips throughout the day, instead of relying on rehydrating at meal times.
Dehydration doesn’t only occur when taking part in exercise. Water is always being expired from the human body as sweat and in respiration and through the kidneys in urine. It is possible to catch dehydration early by looking at the colour of the urine: the clearer it is the more hydrated you are. A slight yellow tinge is acceptable, but dark yellow or orange urine signifies the beginnings of serious dehydration.
In short, carry a bottle of water with you at all times, take sips throughout the day. Cut down on tea, coffee and alcohol where possible and replace with cold, room temperature or even hot water. For added incentive, cold water burns more calories when ingested at room temperature or warm. Check the colour of your urine regularly and try to spot dehydration early. This is particularly important following exercise.
If you enjoyed this article you may also like....
