Hydration - Dehydration

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Now that summer is upon us and the temperature is closing in on the redline, proper hydration is going to be important for maintaining good health and endurance. Nothing is worse than over heating on a hot day. Dehydration can sneak up on you very quickly and usually hits you like a ton bricks. Over heating can be life threatening and if severe enough will require a trip to the hospital. Common symptoms are fatigue, cramping, light headedness, mental fogginess, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, blurred vision and fainting.

Drinking the necessary amount of pure water on a daily basis is the easiest way to keep you hydrated. The proper water balance in the body helps keep your core temperature at a safe limit, reduces muscle soreness, prevents fatigue, and improves elimination of acids and toxins that build up during exercise.

During the summer month's water should be your principle fluid of choice. That is what your body needs to function all the way down to cellular level. On average, the rule of thumb is 1/2 oz. of water for every one pound of body weight per day. So if you weigh 150 lbs. that means you should be taking in approximately 2 1/2 quarts of water per day. On average, athletes should consider 6/10 oz. for every pound of body weight as a minimum. During the summer, athletes who are out training and competing in the heat should consider 1 once for every pound.
A common mistake people make is that they consider sodas and juices as part of their fluid intake. This is a bad habit that needs to be broken. Coffee, soda, juices, alcohol and most teas actually act as diuretics and cause you to release water. So consider drinking an extra 8 ounces of water for every glass of soda, juice, tea or beer that you drink. Another common mistake is that people get busy and don't drink until they sit down for a meal. You should try to limit fluid intake at meals to only 4 ounces. The best thing to do is get in the habit of drinking 4 to 8 ounces of water every hour.

A lot of athletes like to use electrolyte solutions like Pedialyte, Cytomax or even Gatorade before during and after competition (I prefer water, but this comes down to personal preference and how you have trained your body). Common electrolyte solutions are usually limited to sodium and potassium. A good product will add in manganese and calcium. A top-notch product will include phosphorus, magnesium, chromium and chloride.
The best thing you can do during the summer is maintain a proper mineral balance. Minerals are electrolytes. A proper mineral balance is important for a myriad of enzyme functions at the cellular level and the magnetic properties of minerals help your cells attract water.

Organic whole food mineral supplements are the best, but high quality synthetic mineral complexes work well also (Don't rely on that multi vitamin-mineral complex that you bought at Costco! Believe me when I say it's not a very high quality product). Some of the key minerals you want to look for are potassium, calcium lactate (not carbonate, unless you think eating rocks is good for you), sodium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, copper and chromium. Great well-rounded food sources for minerals are pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds, sardines, oysters, clams, and sea kelp.

During the summer it's really important to maintain a constant intake of pure water and pay attention to your perspiration. If it seems like you are perspiring less than you were a half hour earlier it's probably a good time to take an H2o break. When you are exercising in the heat and you stop sweating it's too late. If your core temperature gets too high you could suffer brain or nervous system damage. So play it smart and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Carbo-loading is tool that can help you hold on to water. We will discuss this strategy in a few weeks.
Remember, listen to your body. Cramping and fatigue are usually the first signs of dehydration. If you stop sweating it's too late and you may want to consider a trip to the local doc in the box or hospital for intra venous fluids.