EDUCATION
A Few Facts About Hydration
Dehydration is easier to prevent than to treat.
Water and the Body: A Job Description
- Transports nutrients and oxygen to cells
- Ensures adequate blood volume
- Protects against heat exhaustion
- Acts as insulation in the cold
- Regulates body temperature
- Cushions joints
- Suppresses appetite
- Assists the body in metabolizing stored fat
- Relieves fluid retention problems
- Reduces sodium buildup in the body
- Helps to maintain proper muscle tone
- Rids the body of waste and toxins
- Relieves constipation
- Helps convert food into energy
- Maintains strength and endurance
- Protects organs
More Resources
www.water.org.uk
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Loss of
Body
Water |
Progressive Effects of Dehydration |
0-1% |
Thirst |
2-5% |
Dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, headache, impaired physical performance |
6% |
Increased body temperature, rate of breathing and pulse rate; dizziness; weakness |
8% |
Dizziness, increased weakness, labored breathing with exercise |
10% |
Muscle spasms, swollen tongue, delirium |
11% |
Poor blood circulation, failing kidney function |
| The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide (Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing; 1996), p.168 |
- The National Research Council (NRC) uses a sliding scale of 1 milliliter of water for every calorie burned. The NRC says the average man - who burns about 2,900 calories daily - needs 2,900 milliliters, or about 12 cups, of water each day. The average woman - who burns 2,200 calories daily - needs about 2,200 milliliters, or about 9 cups, of water each day. For your own calculations: One measuring cup (8 ounces) of water equals 236 milliliters of water.
Mayo Clinic, Consumer Health Tips and Products, June 25,2002.
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The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends drinking about 17 ounces of liquid 2 hours before exercise and drinking early and at regular intervals during exercise (5-8 oz every 15-20 minutes)."Exercise and Fluid Replacement," ACSM, Vol.28, No.1, 1-1996.
- Mild to severe dehydration commonly occurs among athletes, even when fluid is readily available. Consequently, it is in the athlete's best interest to adopt fluid-replacement practices that promote fluid intake in proportion to sweat loss.
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