The importance of body water
If we were talking about the evolutionary point of view , we came from the ocean Mineral-rich fluid that gave us life and regulated our biological functions , like all of our cells soak in water which makes up over half around 60 to 70% of who we are
Water is on the inside of our cells as intra-cellular fluid (ICF ) and on the outside of our cells as extra-
cellular fluid ( ECF ).
Different cells contain different amounts of water like bone is about 22% , Adipose tissue is about 25% Blood is about 83% and eyes is about 95% water
Fluid balance
Fluid balance is a dynamic equilibrium between what's coming in and going out, we take in fluid from food and drinks , we can also absorb little water through our skin
We lose water through sweating and the air we breathe ,and excrete it in urine and feces ( through vomiting also
- On an average we get around 1 L water f
Let's take an example ,if you are 200 lb (91 kg ) male , then you are about 120 lb (54 kg) of water
If you're baby , you're about 75% of water
We get around 1 L of water from our food each day depends on what we eat like raw fruits and vegetables are mostly water ,whereas foods like nuts seeds oils butter and lard have very little water.
How much fluid do we need ?
- So how much you should drink ? it depends like most adults need around 12 cups (3L) of fluid each day as a baseline . 1 L from food and 2 L from drinking
- People who are sick and losing water through diarrhea or vomiting will need fluid and electrolyte replenishment
- If it's warmer or drier we need more water like 500 ml extra
- If you're exercising hard , you might need up-to 6 L of water per day
How much fluid do we lose ?
We can lose water in many ways like Breathing and skin evaporation (.4 -.5 ml of water per kg of body weight) , Sweating (.5 L of water) and Excretion (400-500 ml of water daily)
So now we talk lot about water , fluid lose , fluid we need so now let's get back to our topic
Water and Exercise
Water regulates your body temperature and lubricates your joints. It helps transport nutrients to give you energy and keep you healthy. If you're not hydrated, your body can't perform at its highest level. You may feel tired, have muscle cramps, dizziness, or other serious symptoms.
Water is very important for fitness athletes but there are some factors that affect their fitness endurance like
- Sweating
- Hypo-natremia
- Nutritional edema
Exercise and Sweating-We lose both water and salts when sweating , but since we lose more water than salts , we risk electrolyte imbalances when exercising hard for long time , Losing even small amounts of water can affect our athletic performance and energy because blood plama is mostly water , losing water through sweating will lower blood volume , our heart must work harder to pump blood through our body . Heart rate must go up to deliver the same cardiac output, this a particular problem for endurance athletes , since their performance depends on an efficient heart rate .
Our body can to some degree control the effects of dehydration due to channge in fluids from ICF to ECF
Some common symptoms of Dehydration :- Headache, fatigue, low BP , nausea , dizziness , rapid heart rate
Exercise and Hyponatremia - Athletes are generally at a risk of hypo-natremia that means risk of having tooo much water relative to sodium content , in their zeal to replace lost fluids or they feel thristy during intense exercise they drink too much by mistake , sometimes they may drink too much plain water rather than balancing their electrolytes, there are some evidence or cases were found which shows that the people have died from hypo-natremia after drinking too much water , Thus:-
- While fluid replenishment is crucial , don't over drink or guzzle a lot of water at once
- Plain water is usually fine for normal people under normal conditions , and when exercise bouts are short or not very intense .
Fluid Replacement
Prior to exercise, hydrate so that you start physical activities with normal hydration and electrolyte levels. Normal hydration is achieved when there has been adequate time since last exercise session and enough beverages consumed. Consuming liquids hours before you start exercising ensures that your urine output and body functions have returned to normal.
During exercise, monitor how you feel. If you are exercising at a high intensity for long periods of time, monitor weight changes. Consuming drinks that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates can be beneficial for some activities, dependent on the intensity and duration. Sodium in these beverages works to stimulate your thirst, carbohydrates for energy and general electrolyte replenishment.
After exercise, make sure to replace fluid and electrolyte losses by consuming regular meals and beverages over the next 24 hours. If you plan to exercise again sooner than that and feel significantly dehydrated, more focus will be needed to achieve re-hydration. Drink 1.5 liters of fluid for every kilogram lost or 24 ounces for each pound. This rate of 150% of sweat losses is required because of the additional urine output that will occur from increased intake.
Some people find it hard to drink enough water to meet their needs. Beverages that are flavored, cooled and containing sodium may enhance the voluntary intake. Another trick is to fill up liter bottles (like soda pop bottles) with your daily fluid needs every morning and put them in your refrigerator, so you can visually see how much you need to consume and easily track. Dehydration can have serious side effects, so always work hard to make sure you are consuming enough fluids.
STAY MOTIVATED STAY HYDRATED
SHASHANK GUPTA
ISSA CERTIFIED TRAINER AND Nutritionist
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