However, we need it all - losing just one percent of our body weight due to fluid loss can cause dehydration and any more than that can lead to serious medical complications. We are constantly losing water, by sweating or urinating, so by drinking water were keeping our supplies topped up.
How can I tell if I am dehydrated? The easiest way is to look at the color of your urine. If it is pale, you're probably ok. If it's any darker than the color of straw, you're probably not drinking enough. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches, loss of concentration and tiredness, dry skin and eyes.
Ongoing dehydration can cause problems with, among other things, your kidneys, liver, joints and muscles. Many people are unaware that they are dehydrated, they simply become used to not feeling 100%.
You should drink throughout the day, rather than when your body cries out for liquid. From a vanity point of view - hydrated skin looks younger as its plumper, dehydrated skin looks sallow and older. Just by drinking more water could make you look years younger.
How much do we need? The Food Standards Agency and The British Diabetic Association recommend that people living in the UK (or a country of similar climate) drink six to eight glasses of water every day. That's about one and a half to two liters, or a big bottle of water. Children will not need as much water as adults. This is based on an average day in Britain, when the weather heats up, or you have done a lot of exercise, you will need to drink more.
Remember to stick to the daily recommended limit, as drinking too much water can be just as damaging. Too much water could lead to water intoxication, which could be fatal.
To find out a more accurate water intake, try Water Aid's online hydration calculator. It calculates the amount of water you need to drink, based on your weight and amount of exercise you do each day.
What if I don't like water? The most effective way to drink enough and stay hydrated is to drink plain water, a fizzy drink only contains about 65% water. If you really don't like water, try diluting it with a little pure fruit juice.
The Food Standards Agency also recommends drinking semi skimmed milk. If you're also drinking tea and coffee, it's worth remembering that the caffeine in them acts as a diuretic, which means you will want to urinate more, so drink a little more to compensate. As for alcohol, this does not count, as it dehydrates you. So if you like your booze, you will need to top up your water intake.
How can I drink more? Start each day with a glass of water, adding a squeeze of lemon or lime to give your digestive system a boost. Keep a bottle of water with you, in your bag / briefcase.
Keep a bottle of water on your desk and drink as you work. Eat more fruit and vegetables; they have a higher water content, than most other foods. Drink a glass of water at set points during the day, one before lunch, one before you leave work, one as you get home etc... Have a glass of water every time you have a cup of tea or coffee and every time you eat.
Plumbed in water cooler, Bottled or tap water? Plumbed in water coolers and bottled coolers, is big business these days. Many of us find that the water that comes from the taps does not taste very nice, so using a water cooler or buying bottles, seems like a logical solution.
So a good option is to invest in a water filter. The filtering process lowers the lime-scale content of the water, plus it reduces other substances that can effect the smell and taste of water, such as chlorine.
With the summer months approaching many of us will turn to the outdoors for our exercise fix. We know that it is important to drink enough water to replace the fluid lost by sweating during vigorous workouts in order to avoid becoming dehydrated. With sales of bottled water and sports drinks on the rise it is easy to find fluids just about anywhere there are food products. Many of us were brought up on the idea that drinking large amounts of water is safe and the more the better especially when exercising in hot, humid conditions.
This thinking is generally correct. Many of us do need to hydrate ourselves sufficiently during intense, long-term exercise. However a new problem is on the rise and it results from drinking too much water during exercise. The problem is a condition known as hyponatremia which results from having a too low concentration of sodium in our blood.
Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in the blood is too low (less than 135 milliequivalents per liter). Symptoms of hyponatremia include nervous system problems such as tiredness, lethargy, confusion, irritability, seizures and coma.
According to a study in the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (1) that examined causes of collapse in marathon runners in the 2003 Boston marathon it was found that a significant number of runners suffered from hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia appears to be more prevalent in the slower marathon runners completing races in greater than 4 hours and those who use hyperhydration techniques before events.
Hyponatremia is difficult to diagnose without measuring blood sodium levels because the symptoms are similar to dehydration. It is very dangerous to give fluids to someone with hyponatremia and it could cause swelling of the brain and even death. Other signs of too much water intake included weight gain of greater than 1 kilogram that was correlated with water intake of greater than 3 liters.
The researchers recommended limiting water intake during a marathon to between 400-800 ml per hour. These recommendations could also be applied to other forms of vigorous exercise such as bicycling, hiking or dancing.
Another recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine is to drink fluids at regular intervals rather than at one time and consume salty snacks to replace lost sodium.
Hyponatremia can be a very dangerous problem and is counterintuitive to our belief about drinking lots of fluids during extreme exercise. In the coming summer months it is important for athletes, trainers and coaches to be aware of this problem in order to avoid serious consequences. References:
1. Kratz, A., et. al. Sodium status of collapsed marathon runners. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2005 Feb:129(2):227-30
Both Lee Roper & Bruce Forciea are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.