“Why is water important to my training?”
Your body is made up of 60% water, with muscles being up to 79% water. The purpose of water in the body is to be a cushion for your brain, spinal cord, and a fetus if you are pregnant. It regulates your body temperature through sweat and respiration (breathing), flushes waste through urination, and lubricates the joints. Water also forms saliva that plays a vital role in digestion, while carbohydrates and proteins are transported and metabolized via water.
Low body water can negatively affect your workout by:
- Impairing your body’s ability to regulate heat, which will raise your body temperature and cause an elevated heart rate
- Perceived exertion is increased (You will feel more tired when doing exercises that normally feel easy)
- Mental function is lowered which affects motor control, decision making, and concentration
- Gastric emptying is slowed, which will cause stomach discomfort
It is important to stay hydrated for these reasons, just to name a few. At the very least, one should aim to drink 2-3 Liters per day. Doing so well help fight fatigue throughout the day, clear up the skin, and aid in digestion. You can tell how hydrated you are by checking your urine: light colored means you are well hydrated, dark color means you need more fluid. Dry mouth, headache, and feeling dizzy can also be signals from your body to drink more water.
In order to make steps to meet these goals try one or two of these tips:
- Reach for a glass of water when that 3 oclock work slump hits
- Drink 5-10 ml/kgBW in the 2 to 4 hours before exercise
- Drink .4-.8L of fluid per hour of vigorous exercise
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