Four reasons why hydration matters

Four reasons why hydration matters

I recommend clients monitor their hydration to achieve optimum results.

What is hydration?

Before explaining four motivations to keep hydrated, it is important to clarify that dehydration is not only about a lack of water consumption. Dehydration is actually caused by our bodies losing both fluid and electrolytes . Electrolytes are minerals and salts that are essential for bodily function, so it is important to understand that only focusing on water consumption is half the issue.

How do you know if you are dehydrated?

The simplest way to tell if you are dehydrated is by the colour of your pee. Here is a chart that can act as a guideline so you can tell instantly if you need to get hydrated:

Source:http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10137559/should-you-force-yourself-to-drink-more

1. Water Helps You Maintain Normal Body Function

Think of water as the grease that makes everything operate more efficiently. Whether its speeding up your metabolism, keeping your mouth moist as opposed to drying out, or ensuring the cartilage in your joints stays moist, water is a necessity to making sure your body operates at tip-top condition.

2. Dehydration can decrease your performance by 11%

According to Dr. Kelly Starret a hard-training athlete who fails to hydrate sufficiently stands to lose 11% of their VO2 max (the measure of how much oxygen you can process during sustained power output). Additionally, you also decrease the performance and mobility of joints and sliding tissue that are responsible for your muscles performing during those hard workouts (and this 11% performance drop is based on a 2% drop in your optimal body water level ).

Even if you aren’t a finely-tuned athlete, hydration still plays a major role in optimal functioning. According to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition , there was a significant impairment of mathematical ability, short-term memory and visuospatial function following a 2% drop in optimal hydration levels (and this impairment increased as dehydration increased).
So another big motivator to staying hydrated is that it not only affects your performance when training, but also your performance at work, study, and daily intellectual activities.

3. Staying hydrated keeps you looking beautiful

Time to bin all those expensive skin moisturisers: if you drink enough water, your skin will look fabulous and will maintain that healthy glow through all seasons . Proper hydration promotes skin circulation at its base, meaning that skin is always regenerating and repairing itself. So if you are trying all kinds of miracle cures to keep your skin looking younger, consider the simpler solution that comes right out of the tap…at a fraction of the cost.

4. Water can assist in weight loss

If you want to lose weight, increasing water intake can be one of the quickest wins you can make toward achieving your goal. People often mistake thirst for hunger, and a recent study has shown that overweight people who drink water before a meal have been shown to consume less calories during that meal than those who don’t .
While the specifics as to why this is the case have not been fully determined, as a simple appetite suppressant try the following: the next time you are hungry and trying to avoid snacking, drink a large glass of water first. If you still feel hungry after 20 minutes, go for the snack. If not, accept that you were probably thirsty and not hungry after all.