Summer is here and for many of us, that means strapping on your running shoes a lot more! With both increased activity and warmer weather, we need to be more mindful of hydration. Our bodies are comprised mostly of water. Drinking fluids removes waste through our urine, controls our body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure and helps to maintain a healthy metabolism. With a mere 2% decrease in body water, we start to see performance detriments in sports. It’s a fine balance that’s important to get right.
Each individual has different hydration needs based on gender, body type, fitness level, and body composition. A great way to assess for your own personal level of hydration is looking at your urine. It is roughly half of your body weight in ounces.
Dark yellow= DEHYDRATION
Pale straw yellow= HYDRATED
CAUTION: If you are taking a B complex or a multivitamin with B vitamins, your urine will be fluorescent yellow regardless of your level of hydration. It can be helpful to have an idea of how much water your body needs prior to supplementation.
Tips on increasing hydration:
- Start your day with 2 cups of water. Your body will become used to this and actually stimulate your thirst for this refreshing morning beverage.
- Add natural flavouring to your water. Cucumber, lemon, lime, and watermelon are tasty additions.
- Increase consumption of water-rich foods like cucumber, watermelon, which are primarily comprised of water.
- Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Having water available will naturally increase water consumption.
- Set a goal and keep track of your intake.
How do you ensure that you stay hydrated?
In Health,
Dr. Karen