Drinking Water And Health: What You Need To Know

November 15, 2009 by Kat Wendersen  
Filed under Fitness Nutrition & Reviews

The amount of fluids in the body plays a vital part of determining if you remain on top of your game. Drinking water and health related issues are closely linked.

During the entire process of working out, the temperature of the body increases. In order to stabilize body temperature, the body prompts the release of sweat produced in sweat glands through the body’s pores.

As the level of activity increases, the amount of perspiration released increases. The sweat that finds its way on a person’s skin then evaporates and reduces the temperature of the body and cools the skin.

The process of temperature regulation is an important part of one’s health. However, the process of losing far too much fluid in the body at too little time can produce complications. For instance, increased physical activity can result in the loss of at least three quarts of fluid by the hour. With greater fluid lost over the entire period of a workout, the level of performance drops.

Make no mistake; the loss of fluid in the body can also push the cardiovascular system to the extreme. This can then result to nausea, cramps, and in the extreme, heat stroke.

There are a couple of things to remember when seeking to rehydrate the body. Sports drinks, which simulates the benefits of the combination of water and electrolytes, should be consumed before, while, and after the exercise.

The amount of fluids required to properly rehydrate the body depends on the physical characteristics of a person, which includes weight, body type, the amount of sweat normally released, normal body temperature, and a couple of other health indicators.

Make sure to consume at least 18oz of fluids some hours before your program. Consume another 10oz some 15 minutes before you begin warming up. As you work out, consume 30-oz. of fluid per hour. Once done, allow a couple of minutes to pass after cooling down before drinking another 20oz of fluids.

Refrain from consuming drinks that contain caffeine during the process of rehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic that encourages urination that will hasten the loss of fluids in the body. Apart from caffeinated beverages, alcohol must also be avoided, particularly after working out.

This is because alcohol not only contains a huge amount of calories, but can also disturb the rate at which the body cools down and relaxes after working out.

While sports drinks are recommended, you have to check whatever you find in your local grocery for sugar content. Obviously, you cannot afford to pile on the calories even while you work so hard to lose them on the treadmill. Moreover, excessive sugar content can cause an imbalance in the ability of the heart to return to its normal pace after a rigorous workout.

Keep off carbonated drinks and those fruit concentrate beverages. Even if the soft drink claims to be diet or low on sugar, it is still bound to give the body too much carbon dioxide, which also hurts the body’s ability to recover from the strenuous physical activity.

Try to consume beverages that provide the body with magnesium, sodium, and potassium upon consumption. Potassium and sodium both keep the heart healthy by regulating the electrical activity in the cells.

Beverages that claim to be isotonic are able to match the amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that is found naturally in the body. This makes it easy for the body to absorb the fluids from these beverages.

In order to remain healthy and keep medical conditions at bay, drink the right amount of fluids each time. Keep in mind that drinking water and health are closely related.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Comments

One Response to “Drinking Water And Health: What You Need To Know”

Trackbacks

Check out what others are saying about this post...
  1. [...] See the original post: Drinking Water And Health: What You Need To Know [...]