Water and Exercise
Water makes up about 60% of a humans body weight. All of this water is not just readily available as a lot of it is used in the chemical makeup of structures and for chemical reactions inside the body. Nutrients are moved within our bodies by the way of water, without it cells would die. Water acts as:
- A solvent.
- A cleaning agent that cleans tissue and blood of wastes.
- A lubricant for our joints.
- A temperature regulator inside the body.
- A shock absorber for various parts of the body.
We use a lot of water on a daily basis and we must drink at least the same amount of water expended each day. Water weight is gained when a diet is high in salt but will usually go down in a day or so and doesn’t resemble any fat loss.
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The hypothalamus controls the water intake of our bodies. When we lack water the hypothalamus will tell the kidneys to use the water that it was going to excrete so that we can function. This is why when your urine is dark in color it means you are dehydrated because that urine was recycled and contains less actual water when it is released. When you feel thirsty it is because your body already lacks at least 2 cups of water. This means you are dehydrated before you feel thirsty. When you are dehydrated the body needs the little water you have for the bloodstream so it will not “waste” any on sweat. This means that you can easily over heat because your body refuses to sweat when you are dehydrated. The moral of the story here is that you should never wait until you are thirsty to drink but should continually drink throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Water and Exercise go hand in hand.
How Much Water Should I Drink In A Day?
Water consumption is different for every individual and includes many factors such as activity level and climate. A general rule of thumb is that an average adult need to consume 1 to 1.5 ml of water per calorie expended. So someone that eats 2,000 calories in a day should drink between 2 to 3 liters of water in that day. Obviously if the person is sweating during that day they will need to consume more water. The good thing is that most foods contain water and this water counts in the consumption for each day. But there are a few things that do the exact opposite of water and should be avoided at all costs, especially when there might be the slightest risk of dehydration. These substances are alcohol and caffeine. They act as diuretics, which means that they will cause increased urinary excretion.
Hard Water Vs. Soft Water
Hard water has more calcium and magnesium whereas soft water has more sodium. Soft water will dissolve cadmium and lead from pipes.
Is Bottled Water Really Better For You?
The bottled water industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and shows no signs of slowing down. But is bottled water any better than tap water? A study was done testing 103 different brands of bottled water and the results might surprise you. Of all the brands tested a third were contaminated with chemicals and 1/4 of them were drawn directly from the tap. All water essentially comes from the same place, either surface water or ground water. Surface water comes from river, lakes and reservoirs while ground water comes from underground aquifers. Bottled water is tested by the FDA but the standards are much less than what your tap water must pass with the EPA. Bottled water never has to be tested for cryptosporidium or for the presence of asbestos contamination while tap water is inspected thoroughly for both contaminants. The reason that people like the taste of bottled water is because ozone is used as the disinfectant as opposed to chlorine. Always check bottled water for the trademark IBWA (International bottled water association) and try to get water that comes from out of state. Only water sold across state lines has to meet all of the FDA sanitation and safety requirements.
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