Summer is just around the corner and everyone is going to be soaking up that sunshine in sweet summer heat. This also means that everyone will likely be sweating a little more… and your body may be thirstier than you think. Proper hydration is critical for your health especially during hot weather. Lack of proper hydration can impair your physical performance, cognitive function, the body’s natural recovery process, and your overall well being. This is why it is so important to keep your emotional-support water bottle filled and close by this summer!
The body naturally is prepared for the summer heat and all the outdoor activities you are planning on enjoying via a process we all know and love: sweating. Sweating is the body’s way of maintaining its internal temperature to protect all your organs from overheating. When the body is placed in a warmer environment or the body’s internal temperature begins to rise, the body will start to sweat more and more to help cool things off – this is called thermoregulation. However, the body has to use its natural water stores and electrolytes to perform thermoregulation, this is why your sweat is salty, but this also contributes to factors that will dehydrate you. Enough dehydration or overheating of the body can lead to heat exhaustion or eventually cause a heat stroke1.
Hydration plays an important role in the body’s physical and internal performance and recovery. Even mild dehydration, about a 2% body mass loss, can reduce the body’s endurance and strength capabilities2. Water and electrolytes are vital for muscle contractions, so when the water and electrolytes stored in the muscle start to deplete so does the quickness and strength of the muscle contraction. Dehydration can also impair attention, memory and mood – the brain relies on your body’s water supply to maintain its structure, help convey messages to the rest of the body efficiently, and ensure optimal blood flow to deliver oxygen and vital nutrients for the brain. Without enough water, the body’s blood volume will decrease which will raise the heart rate and lower blood pressure (not in a good way)3 – this means that the body and heart will have to work much harder to ensure blood is adequately being supplied to all the vital areas and organs, like the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out the body’s waste and toxins via urine which is composed of mostly water. If there is not enough water to convey the toxins, it becomes oversaturated and gives off that dark yellow to brown color which is a great indicator of how hydrated you are. We want to aim for that light pale yellow color!
So how much water do you really need? Our general rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces as your baseline. If you have caffeine or a sugary drink, like a cup of coffee, an energy drink, or a soda, add 8 ounces per serving. If you exercise, add a minimum of 8 ounces per 20 minutes of activity- if the exercise is outside in the heat or you were sweating excessively, make it an additional 8 ounces per every 10 minutes. If you are going to the bathroom after every drink of water, add in some electrolytes to help the body hold onto and utilize the water you are drinking – this can be from a recovery sports drink (watch the sugar), electrolyte packets, supplements, or even just a dash of high quality salt in 8 ounces of water. Let’s apply this to an example: say a 160 lb person had 2 cups of coffee in the morning and went for a 40 minute run outside in the afternoon. By the end of the day, they need a baseline of 80 ounces of water with an additional 16 ounces of water for their coffee and 32 ounces of water following their run – totaling about 128 ounces for their optimal water intake that day.
Remember not to get overwhelmed counting ounces of water everyday, it is not meant to stress you out- just provide some general guidance; remember you get hydration with other fluids and foods (just not caffeine or alcohol) like fruits, vegetables, juices and so much more. Let’s focus on making hydration a conscious habit and not an afterthought, especially with this summer heat headed our way. If you need help adding hydration to your routine or want to know more on how hydration can help you feel your best, please don’t hesitate to meet with one of our doctors!
1Casa et al. (2015) – “National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses” – Journal of Athletic Training.
2Cheuvront & Kenefick (2014) – “Dehydration: Physiology, assessment, and performance effects” – Comprehensive Physiology.
3Cousins AL, Young HA, Thomas AG, Benton D. The Effect of Hypo-Hydration on Mood and Cognition Is Influenced by Electrolyte in a Drink and Its Colour: A Randomised Trial. Nutrients.
Contact one of our locations to schedule an appointment.
