Hydration is an essential and often overlooked element in health and fitness. A lack of fluids can lead to dehydration, this can have some serious symptoms that can even result in the requirement to seek medical attention. But how much water should I drink? A good question. Optimal water intake is dependent on a number of factors and will vary between individuals. It is complex and is difficult to be distilled into a single answer. Our water intake calculator can give you a guide as to how much water you should be drinking.
Why hydration matters:
The average human body is 60% water! It plays a key role in all of the body's essential functions, it helps us regulate temperature, digest our food and transport our nutrients. This is particularly important when you are engaging in physical exercise regularly. It has been shown via numerous studies that even small levels of dehydration can have detrimental effects on physical performance and thus may limit the benefit you receive from your exercise. Hydration also has an effect on our cognitive ability. Diminished water intake can reduce cognition at a dramatic rate, in 2012 it was demonstrated that students who took water into an exam and stayed hydrated throughout achieved 4.8% better results than their counterparts who were not as hydrated. In short, water allows our body to operate on its most basic level and this in turn allows us to feel good and operate to a high level in everything we do.
Factors affecting water intake:
Optimum water intake is a complex thing to measure and can rely on a number of factors. Our water intake calculator is built to help you make a rough estimate about how much fluid you should be drinking a day to maintain optimal hydration. It takes into account your body weight, activity level, the climate you live in, your diet and if you require any adjustment due to relevant medical conditions. This should be used as a guideline as there are a few additional factors that may affect your required water intake (not included in the calculator), such as altitude, pregnancy or breastfeeding, humidity and medication you may be on. These are not included in the calculator as they either have less of an effect than the main factors or are rarer cases. If any of these apply to you, consider adjusting your water intake accordingly.
Tips to stay hydrated:
But how can you practically reach this water intake goal and thus gain the benefits of optimal hydration? Here are the 5 top tips to ensure you remain on target to hit this goal.
Tip 1 - Carry a water bottle
Carrying a reusable water bottle with you at all times is a great tip for a number of reasons. The most obvious of those being the practicality of it, you constantly have a vessel on you which you can fill up and monitor the amount of bottles you have drunk in the day. Another reason which is perhaps just as important is the physical reminder to drink water. Having a bottle on you serves as a very powerful prompt that you need to drink water. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, when you do not have a bottle with you, water intake can easily slip your mind and you can go all day without having any. This problem is easily corrected.
Tip 2 - Monitor your urine colour
Ew! Monitoring your urine may seem disgusting but it is the best way to visually identify your hydration levels. You should aim for a very pale yellow colour. Darker yellows indicate dehydration while completely clear indicates you may be drinking too much water! Click here to find out more about monitoring your urine and make sure to contact a medical professional if you believe your urine is a particularly abnormal colour.
Tip 3 - Eat Hydrating foods
A good way to maintain hydration without actually drinking water is to eat hydrating foods. Diet is one of the factors in our water intake calculator for this reason. These foods are ones with high water content such as fruit and vegetables. Conversely, you should avoid having highly processed foods or a diet with excess sodium as this can have the opposite effect.
Tip 4 - Hydrate before, during and after your workout
Your workout is the time of day where you are likely to lose the most fluids and therefore be at risk of dehydration. As we have already mentioned, hydration is key to performance so you should always continue to drink water throughout your workout. Make sure you are adequately hydrated before beginning your session and to replace all the fluids lost afterwards. This is particularly important for those engaging in particularly intense or prolonged exercise.
Tip 5 - Listen to your thirst
Your body is a wonderful thing, listen to it. This may seem obvious but paying attention to your body’s natural signals can keep you hydrated even without a rigid water intake goal. When you feel thirsty, make sure to drink, honour your body’s calls. Additionally, consider drinking water if you begin to feel reductions in cognition, dizziness or headaches. Again, if you feel symptoms of severe dehydration, you should consult a medical professional.
Bonus Tip!
Consider what fluids you drink. Consumption of alcohol and caffeine have both dehydrating and diuretic effects which can cause issues in relation to your hydration. Electrolytes, however, can aid hydration and give you a boost towards your goal. Consider supplementing electrolyte tablets, gels or powders if you continue to struggle with your hydration.
Key takeaways:
Hydration is key to the bodies basic operation and performance in everything we do
Dehydration can have huge negative impacts
Make use of our water intake calculator because everyone’s optimum hydration level is different
Consider implementing these 5 tips in order to boost your chances of hitting this goal and thus receiving the benefits of adequate hydration