Hydration

Hydration for the nation! At a time where health is at the forefront of our minds, it is important not to forget that hydration plays a big part in keeping our bodies healthy.

With summer approaching and more of us enjoying exercising outdoors, it is important that we know how to stay hydrated.

Water represents an average 50-60% of body weight in adults, making it essential to keep adequately hydrated so that our bodies can function optimally. Fluids are needed to help regulate body temperature, transport nutrients and keep the skin looking and feeling healthy, along with aiding many other body functions. If we don’t consume enough fluids then we can become dehydrated, meaning your body loses more fluids than you are taking in. Moderate dehydration can cause headaches and tiredness, and water losses of as little as 2% have been shown to reduce cognitive performance.

Hydration & Activity

When exercising, one of the ways the body regulates its temperature is by increasing loss of fluids through the skin (i.e. sweating), therefore fluid intake should be increased to replace this loss.

Staying hydrated before, during and after exercise is important as it can affect performance and energy levels.

Athletes often use sports drinks to replace electrolytes (minerals and salts found in the blood) lost from sweating and to enhance rehydration as part of their training regime. They can be useful for those performing strenuous exercise (over an hour) but can be costly and can contain large amounts of sugar, possibly increasing the risk of tooth decay. Therefore, for most of us recreational gym goers or runners, drinking water is perfectly suitable to keep you appropriately hydrated when exercising.

Recommendations and Tips

The British Nutrition Foundation provides some helpful tips on what drinks contribute to our fluid intake. They suggest drinking 6-8 glasses of fluid a day in total. However, this will be different for everyone, depending upon many factors such as activity level and age. Looking at your urine colour can give you an idea of your hydration level. Aim for a pale straw like colour, if the urine is a darker colour it can be a sign of dehydration and, therefore, to increase fluid intake.

- Drinking water is a healthy way to hydrate and also has the lowest environmental impact as it contains no agricultural or industrial additives. Limiting fluid intake from high sugar-containing drinks is advised. Good alternatives include no-added sugar squash, herbal teas and fruit teas.

Recommendations and Tips cont…

- If you struggle to keep up regular fluid intake then setting an alarm throughout the day to remind you to drink can be a practical solution to upping that daily amount.

- Adding fruit to flavour your water, is a good way to encourage yourself to drink more, making it tastier and exciting. Some examples to get you started are cucumber, berries, lemons, limes or mint.

- Keeping a reusable bottle with you is another way to make sure you always have access to fluids, allowing you to drink at regular intervals.

- Filling up your bottle and leaving it overnight in the freezer is a good way to have access to cool and refreshing fluids throughout the next day, a cool bag can also be used to last longer.

Recommendations and Tips cont…

- 150ml of fresh fruit juice or smoothies can provide water and nutrients, however, should be limited due to sugar contents and lack of fibre compared to that found in whole fruit and vegetables.

- High water content foods can also help contribute to your daily fluid intake. Examples include watermelon, spinach, celery, cucumbers, and tomatoes.