Water!

One of the most important, yet often overlooked, methods to improve athletic performance, reduce body fat, and help you meet your fitness goals is to stay hydrated. Water makes up 75% of your body. It is essential to living, second only to oxygen, and makes your body's functions run as smoothly as possible. Not being fully hydrated has a detrimental effect on body systems and performance.


Often just substituting water for sugary beverages can cause weight loss. One can of soda has around 200 calories, so if you have a habit of drinking several a day, calories can really add up. Studies have shown that children who drink more than the recommended quantity of water have reduced occurences of obesity and bed-wetting than children who do not (Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation.)

The human body can still thrive after losing 40% of it's body mass from starvation, but a loss of 12% from fluid loss can cause death. Dehydration causes a reduction in the amount of blood pumped per beat, so your heart rate must increase to try to get enough blood to your body. It also decreases your body's ability to thermoregulate itself, so your body temperature goes up and sweating is reduced, increasing chances of a heat-related illness. Trials conducted by the National Strength and Conditioning Association show that dehydration has adverse effects on aerobic endurance performance and decreases aerobic power.

You may not feel thirsty until you have reached a body water deficit of 2%, so it is important to drink before you experience a thirst sensation. The average 155 pound person sweats around 1-1.5 liters per hour during exercise or extreme heat, and must be replaced so that your body will perform efficiently. You should drink .5 L of water two hours prior to exercise or heat exposure, and continue drinking at regular intervals to optimize hydration.

I felt the need to write this blog about hydration because I know I need to drink more water. I used to drink over a gallon a day, but I have been drinking more diet soda and low calorie fruit beverages and less real water lately. I recently purchased a Brita water filter to make my home tap water more palatable, and I have a collection of plastic bottles in the freezer so that I can have cold water on the go. I know that staying hydrated will improve my athletic performance and ensure my body can maintain its temperature with ease.