What is the Importance of Drinking Water?
There’s a lot to consider for anyone who wants to make healthier life choices and get in better shape, be it for sport specific purposes, or for those who are simply looking to live a healthier lifestyle. To begin with, there’s nutrition to think about. How much protein should you intake? How many grams of carbohydrates, and from which sources should you be getting it? How much fat do you need, and again, from which sources? How many daily calories should you be consuming in order to meet your goals? Obviously, what you do for exercise, with or without a personal trainer, is going to be a huge aspect of your decision making process, but as a long time personal trainer in Austin, there’s one big thing that I often see people neglecting to consider. How much water they should be drinking. People weigh the health benefits of various foods and exercise regimens, but rarely does anyone take a moment to consider the health benefits of drinking water.
Drinking water is an essential part of our survival. Without adequate and frequent water intake, we die. Unfortunately, water is the second most popular beverage in the world. Soda tops the list, despite all of the negative health ramifications associated with it’s consumption, such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. Coffee too, is a very popular drink as well, but just plain water is a necessary thing for our survival, bland as it may be for some.
Drinking water is very important for a variety of reasons. To begin with, if we lose more water than we consume, we will dehydrate. Our bodies are comprised on average of 60% water, so if you do the simple math, you’ll realize quickly, that this is a lot of water that we are talking about. Drinking water enables our bodies to digest our foods, produce fluids such as the acids in our stomachs, which are used for those same digestive processes, make saliva, regulate our body’s temperature, and a whole lot more.
When we feel thirsty, it is because our bodily reserves of water are getting low and it is necessary to re hydrate ourselves. When we have sufficient stores of water in the body, the brain signals, through the pituitary gland, to our kidneys how much water to expel, and when this happens, there will be an immediate shortage of water in the body that will be in need of replenishment.
Drinking water also helps us lose weight if so desired. When we choose a glass of water over a soda, or a similarly sugar laden beverage such as a Starbucks sugary fat bomb, we are ingesting fewer calories, less fats, and less sugars. Another way drinking water helps us lose weight, is because when we are sufficiently hydrated, our bodies will not be holding onto water in an effort to stay hydrated. In essence, the more water you drink, to a limit, of course, the less water retention you will have.
Drinking water also affects your energy levels. When we dehydrate, our cells lose electrolytes and experience fatigue. Maintaining the proper level of hydration will ensure that you don’t lose excess fluids necessary for intercellular respiration, energy, etc. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that people who are exerting themselves, consume on average roughly 18 ounces of water a couple of hours prior to the activity, and to replenish drinking water regularly to compensate for the fluid we lose through sweating. That figure, like all sweeping statement figures, should be taken as a mere guideline as opposed to a prescription for your individual needs.
Another great reason for drinking water, is that fluids are what is used by our bodies to transport waste products from the cells, all the way to the expulsion process. The most abundant waste in our body is a substance known as blood urea nitrogen. Without us being properly hydrated, our bodies will be unable to excrete it properly, as well as other toxins through our urine. One way to tell if you are drinking water sufficiently, is to look at the color of your urine, as well as by paying attention to the odor of it. If your urine is dark in color and smells strongly, your kidneys are holding on to fluids necessary for excretion as there isn’t enough water in the body to properly do so otherwise.
Drinking water also helps us stay regular. If we aren’t drinking enough water, we can end up constipated as the kidneys will extract water from our stool and thus render us constipated.
How can one be sure they drink enough water throughout the day? By making conscious decisions to do so, as well as by making good choices when we are thirsty. Drinking water with every meal will certainly help you keep an adequate level of hydration, and so will carrying around a container of water with you, as well as keeping one with you at your desk, in your car, etc. Drinking water is the most common and direct way to consume water, but we also ingest up to 20% of our daily water intake through our foods. Fruits and vegetables are water rich foods that contain plenty of fiber, as well as vitamins, and antioxidants, so being sure to include a healthy amount of them in your diet will not only help keep you hydrated, but fortified as well.
Like everything in fitness, there are no sweeping statements that will tell you how much water you need per day. The old myth of 8, 8 ounce glasses per day is about as accurate as the old myth regarding what one’s maximum heart rate should be. That will apply to a few, but many more won’t fall into that categorized statistic. The importance of drinking water cannot be overly emphasized. If you feel thirst, you already are slightly dehydrated. By making drinking water as much a part of your routine as sleeping, eating properly, and working out, you’ll quickly be on your way to a healthier new body.
Ready to Get Started?
