Drink water – be great!

WATER – the source of life!

Why?

Because water is the main component of our body. In children it constitutes as much as 70% of body mass. Its amount drops with age. In adults it usually amounts to about 50% of body mass.

It is thanks to water that all significant life processes can be performed in our body. Nutrients go precisely to cells and useless metabolic wastes are excreted. Water enables gas exchange in the lungs by maintaining constant humidification. Moreover, it keeps the right level of moisture in our eyes, protects and cushions the brain as well as internal organs and joints, and keeps the fetus safe in a mother’s womb. Water also takes part in thermoregulation. A proper intake of fluids is also necessary to maintain normal blood pressure.

Drink water, it pays off!

One, two, three! Let’s drink water you and me!

Normally, a healthy person loses about 25-50 ml of water in an hour, while during heat or physical exercise the amount grows. If you want to calculate water demand, you  just need to multiply the number of kilograms by 30ml. According to this rule, if someone weighs 50kg, they should drink about 1,5l of water daily.

People who do not do any strenuous sports should remember the basic rule – sip water throughout the whole day. It is worth to have a bottle of water close at hand in the office and by keeping it on the desk you will get into the good habit of drinking water on a regular basis.

According to dr Urszula Zdanowicz, an orthopaedist and traumatologist, people who do sport make a lot of mistakes in the subject of hydration: “The most common mistake while doing sport is either not drinking or drinking too little, or drinking the wrong fluids. It is by drinking that we can gain or lose the most. Thirst appears while we’re 2-3% dehydrated. Waiting for this signal is very risky. When dehydration amounts to 4%, our efficiency decreases by 40%. As a result of drinking too little, our chance of achieving a good result decreases rapidly. While exercising we dehydrate through breathing and sweating.  Our blood consequently thickens and doesn’t reach the finest of blood vessels, i.e. capillaries. This causes oxygen deficiency in the brain and also in muscles which do not receive sufficient energy supply. Motivation and concentration drop significantly.”

I can tell from my own experience that people often think they consume more fluids than they actually do. Remember that if you want your body to function properly, the necessary minimum amount equals 8 glasses a day. You should also bear in mind that appropriate hydration is beneficial for your skin which thereby becomes more flexible and firm.

 

Sources:

1. Carter F. Fluid balance. Nurs Stand. 2009;23(34):59
2. Hew-Butler TD, Eskin C, Bickham J, Rusnak M, VanderMeulen M. Dehydration is how you define it: comparison of 318 blood and urine athlete spot checks. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018;4(1):e000297.
3. Scales K, Pilsworth J. The importance of fluid balance in clinical practice. Nurs Stand. 2008;22(47):50-57.
4. Stookey JD, Constant F, Popkin BM, Gardner CD. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(11):2481-2488.

Interview with dr Urszula Zdanowicz: Water and Health. Kong Magazine