Hydration Guide

how much water do I need? why am I drinking water but still thirsty? why am I always peeing but always parched?

These are all great questions and often common questions I hear from clients. Firstly, let me say that I think dehydration is such an overlooked piece of health in our society (don’t get me started on water quality either). In one piece of the pie, oftentimes people confuse being thirsty with being hungry. Our brains don’t work as well. We become lethargic. We become unregulated!

If we can get hydration on track, I truly believe that small piece can have a significant impact on weight control, cognition, cell processes, and overall life. As we work through the couple remaining warm months of the year, I thought this would be helpful to have on hand for you guys. Please reach out if you have any questions and share with your friends, kiddos, nieces/nephews, and/or grandkids in sports or those participating in exercise!

Consequences of Dehydration

— performance and otherwise

• Can reduce endurance in athletes by up to 50%

  • Makes your body work harder → increased rate of muscle glycogen use

  • Reduced blood volume → blood can’t carry oxygen to your lungs or oxygen + nutrients to your muscles

• Even smaller or less significant amounts of dehydration can decrease performance by 1-2%

  • takes HOURS to come back from body water loss

• At a cellular level, our cells become dehydrated (or shrink) which impacts enzymatic processes, reduced protein turnover, an increase in oxidative stress, etc.

Dehydration Symptoms/Cues:

— for adults