Why water is more important than you think!

Why water is more important than you think.

Water is a nutrient that can be easily overlooked, but is arguably one of the most important nutrients our body needs in order to survive. Without water our body would only be able to survive a few days, this is because out body is around 60% water.

Vital functions of water:

·        All the chemical reactions that occur in our body take place in the medium of water. The water in every individual cell and the whole body must be kept constant so that all our body functions and our metabolism, remains efficient.

·        Water helps keep our body temperature regulated. It distributes heat around the body from the place where it is produced. Water can evaporate from the skin to try to cool down the body, this is known as sweating.

·        Water is the transportation system of the body. It moves everything around the body to the places it is needed and also takes waste products to excretory organs.

How much water should you drink?

Water output

Water is continuously lost throughout the day from sweating, excretion of waste and breathing. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, your body’s water output will be around 2.5 litres a day; this loss is through, urine, faeces, skin evaporation and respiration.

Water input

It is very difficult to accurately estimate how much water we should consume on a daily basis. Some of our water will come from the food we eat through out the day; for example, vegetables and fruit contain high amounts of water. Through a healthy and well balanced diet it has been estimated that we will consume around 1-1.5 litres of water. This still leaves our body needing more water; this is why you should drink around 2 litres of water throughout the day.

If you are exercising you will need to increase the amount of water you drink, even walking. An hour of exercise could lead to a further water loss of around 1-2 litres.

Water is the best fluid you can drink. Water is free and almost as good as any sports drink for hydration. All you need is a bottle to fill up with water and you’re good to go. You can buy bottled water, but there is not much difference between bottled and tap water, both will hydrate your body exactly the same.

The consequences of lack of water (Dehydration)

Lack of water can very serious. Loss of water is measured as a percentage of our body weight. 1 litre of water weighs approximately 1Kg.

·        A loss of 3% body fluids will reduce your blood flow and blood volume, inefficient kidney function and will cause dry mouth and headache.

·        A 4% loss will result in the capacity for hard muscle work to reduce by around 20-30%.

·        At 5% fluid loss heat exhaustion will occur, leading to medical attention.

·        A 7% loss will cause an individual to start hallucinating.

·        A 10% loss with lead to heat stroke, cause you to collapse and even death.

How can you assess your hydration levels?

Thirst is not a way of analysing your water needs, thirst is a response to dehydration. By the time you feel thirsty it is already too late, you are already dehydrated. This can be sufficient enough to effect performance.

A good way to know if you are hydrated enough is through the colour of your urine:

Clear                                 Hydrated

Very pale yellow              Hydrated

Pale yellow                       Hydrated

Yellow                              Mild dehydration

Dark Yellow                     Dehydration

Water is clearly important in our day to day life, simple changes such as drinking more water throughout the day will keep you feeling refreshed, hydrated and energised.

Next time you go out, remember to take a bottle of water with you, stay hydrated, feel the difference.