WATER FOR HELATH AND PERFORMANCE

Nearly all the bio-chemical reactions that occur in body cells depend on water and electrolyte (sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, phosphorous, magnesium etc.) balance. These balances are not only vital to maintaining life but also affect physical and mental performance.

Water is the most abundant component of the body (60 per cent + by weight). It is believed that it was Mike Colgan of the Colgan Institute who referred to the body as a “Hairy protein bag full of water”. This bag of water has many holes which allow for leakage. These holes include skin pores which allow for perspiration (skin leakage) the kidney/bladder system which expels wastes carried by water and the respiratory system which must be moist or breathing would be very dry and painful. Adequate hydration is very important in the maintenance of body temperature. When muscles contract they generate heat which must be dissipated from the core to the body surface and adequate water to maintain adequate blood volume is vital. buy online medicine

Blood, kidney, heart and lungs are made of 80 percent or more water. Muscle, spleen, brain, intestines and skin are 72-75 percent water. Even bones are 22 percent and fat tissue is 10 per cent water. On a normal, moderate, temperature, inactive day you would lose 1.5 litres (6 glasses) of water through kidney filtration (urine production) and another 0.750-1 litre (3-4 glasses) through the skin and respiration. So an average person needs 8-9 glasses per day just to replace average losses. It is true you get some of that from fruits, vegetables, other beverages and food. My “rule of thumb” for water requirements has long been weight in kgs./2 = gm of water/day. Caffeinate, alcoholic and many carbonated beverages have a diuretic effect and actually increase the daily fluid requirements. One should choose pure water or high quality sport beverage in some circumstances.