8
Sep 10
The #1 Nutrient
What’s up everyone! Before you begin reading this blog I want you to walk to the sink, your water cooler, fridge or wherever you store your water supply and down a big glass of delicious, thirst quenching water.
You know… many people don’t even think of water as a nutrient because it has no caloric value but its importance in maintaining life is second in the line-up behind the big O, oxygen.
It has been estimated that we can survive losses of up to 40% of our body weight in fat, carbs, and protein but losing water of about 9-12% can be fatal.
I was watching a show on TV where these 2 guys got stranded on a desert island for 4 days without water after their catamaran broke into pieces during a storm in the Sea of Cortez. That is probably the worst case scenario. They had one cactus where they were just barely able to suck what little moisture was left in the gelatinous mix of the cactus innards, no shade and just rocks and mountains surrounding them. Now, these guys survived to tell the story but only made it through on sheer desire to live because in an environment like that, 3 days max is usually all she wrote.
So, not only is water vital to survival but it also plays a critical role in exercise success and results. It:
- transports nutrients to the body’s various tissues and many other chemical reactions
- regulates body temperature
- maintains blood pressure for proper cardio functioning
- flushes out toxins
- lubricates and cushions joints and organs for the impact of running, jumping and other movements
There is not one major function in your body that doesn’t need water for the process to occur properly. Scientists at the University of Utah recently tested a hypothesis that the resting metabolic rate can be lowered with decreased fluid reserves. Meaning that the amount of fat and calories you burn on a daily basis will drop. The test revealed that the women with less fluid reserves had a decreased ability to use fat for energy and had an increased use of carbs. This study affirms the importance of drinking a large amount of water when trying to lose weight, especially when training.
The 3 ways our body receives water
- Approx. 60% is obtained from fluid intake
- Approx. 30% obtained from food consumption
- 10% is produced in our cells during metabolism
The 4 ways our body loses water
- Approx. 60% is lost from the kidneys (urination)
- Approx. 30% is lost from the respiratory tract/breathing (termed “insensible water loss” because we do not feel it happening)
- Water loss through the skin’s surface (approx. 5% from sweating)
- Approx. 5% from the large intestines
The effect of dehydration can be damaging to daily activities, here are some signs and symptoms
- Headaches
- Lack of concentration
- Low productivity
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Sticky mouth
- Little or no urine (or dark yellow or brown urine)
What to do to get and stay hydrated???
When you wake up in the morning it’s important to know that you are for the most part automatically dehydrated. So the first thing you should do before anything else is drink a big glass of water. Then drink a glass approximately every 2 hours thereafter.
Hydration and exercise
- Water affects training and workout performance more than any other nutrient
- Consume at least 1 pint of fluid 2 hours before training (this will provide the fluid needed to achieve optimal hydration and time to urinate the excess water)
- You will perform better therefore burning more calories, more fat, recovering quicker, etc.
- Our muscles are 73% water and will not activate optimally if 2% of fluid is lost. So, always hydrate before, during and after workouts and training.
It’s also important to know that most people only replace 2/3 of water lost which is called voluntary dehydration. So, now you know how vital water is in life, training and for weight loss and fat burning. Check out the video below which will reiterate some of the points that I make above and leave your question and comments in the section below.
