Health News: What's Happening

Other than oxygen, water is the most essential ingredient for life. Water transports nutrients, lubricates your joints and tissues, eliminates waste products, regulates your body temperature, and helps you digest food. (1)

With rising temperatures and more outdoor activities, summer is the time to get into the habit of drinking water—and lots of it. Experts recommend drinking at least eight cups (64 ounces) of water each day. So when it’s hot—and when you’re exercising—you’ll need even more to ensure your body stays properly hydrated.

Like a radiator in a car, blood circulating in your veins and arteries helps to control your body heat under normal circumstances. But when the air temperature is higher than 90°F, cooling by evaporation (drying sweat) is the only way your body can keep from overheating. And you can only sweat when your body is supplied with enough fluids. (2)

By the time you actually feel thirsty, you’re on your way to becoming dehydrated, so during the hot-weather months, it’s smart to keep guzzling, even if you don’t feel particularly parched.

Adequate hydration is a must if you’re walking, playing sports, or working out. Drinking water before, during, and after helps you get the most out of your activities, ensuring your muscles get enough oxygen so you can exercise without tiring as quickly.

Dehydration affects your entire body. Studies have found that when you lose two or more percent of your body weight due to sweating (that’s a quart of perspiration for every 100 pounds of body weight), you can suffer from a drop in the volume of blood circulating through your body. When this happens, the heart must work harder to move blood through the bloodstream. (1)

Dehydration feels lousy, like a hangover. Symptoms of dehydration start with fatigue and dizziness (especially when standing up), headache, and nausea, and can escalate to cramping muscles or even heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. (1)

Age has an effect on your risk of dehydration and heat-related problems. People age 65 and over may have a decreased sensation of thirst, and are more than twice as likely as those in their 30s to not drink enough water and suffer heat-related problems.

Obesity is a risk factor as well: Too much body fat is like a coat you cannot take off in the heat. It acts as extra insulation and can hamper your ability to cool down. (2)

Drinking other beverages is fine on a summer day, but nothing refreshes like regular water. Sports drinks can contain salts and sugars—sometimes more than you need or want. A cold beer or caffeinated beverage may be tempting when you want to relax or feel more energetic, but be careful: Alcohol and caffeine can draw more water out of your body and leave you more prone to dehydration.

When it comes to hydration, nothing refreshes like regular water—and nothing is more economical. You can fill a reusable plastic bottle right from the tap and take it with you. For a happier, healthier summer, you can keep your cool with plenty of H2O all day long.

References:
(1) Quinn, Elizabeth. “Proper Hydration for Exercise - Water or Sports Drinks.” About.com, January 23, 2008
click here for info regarding sportsmedicine on about.com
(2) Baja Insider.com. “Avoiding Heat Stroke by Keeping the Body Hydrated.”
http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-life/general-information/heat-hydration.htm

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