What happens without water?
If you do not drink enough water, you dehydrate. Dehydration can lead to a decrease in physical activity performance and may adversely affect your health.
What are the signs of dehydration?
- Thirst
- Chills
- Clammy skin
- Elevated heart rate
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Dry mouth
What can dehydration lead to?
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke
- Muscle cramping/fatigue
- Breakdown of skeletal muscle
How much water should I drink?
Remember it is important to drink water before, during, and after exercise. Exact amounts of water needed will vary from individual to individual (gender, exercise environment, type of exercise, and intensity of exercise are all factors).
- Before: 500 – 600mL of water at least 2 hours prior to exercise
- During: 200 – 300mL of water for every 10-20 minutes of exercise
- After: 500 – 700mL of water for each 1/2 kg lost due to sweating.
What does water do for you?
- 60% of your total body weight is water
- 75% of your muscles is water
- Assists in the regulation of internal body temperature
- Protects and cushions vital organs
- Aids the digestive system
How you can prevent dehydration?
- Don’t wait until you are thirsty! Thirst is an early sign of dehydration and if you wait until you are thirsty, you have already begun to dehydrate.
- Drink water before, during, and after exercise.
- Dress for the environment.
- During the warm months exercise at the coolest time of the day – early morning or late evening, and wear the lightest clothing that you can (lightweight t-shirts, shorts, low-cut socks).
- During the cold months, wear several layers of clothing so that you can remove layers as you begin to sweat.
Source: www.med.umich.edu
