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simon s
09-Mar-2011, 01:55 PM
How much is enough?

We all know that we should be drinking more water in order to remain hydrated, but how much is enough? The CHEK Institute guidlines recommend that for normal hydration, determine your body weight in pounds, divide it by two and drink that many ounces of water each day. (Body weight in kilos x 0.033 = how much to drink in litres). So for example, a 200 pound man would need to drink 100 ounces of water to remain in a normal state of hydration. This would obviously be more if that person was exercising or living in a hot climate.

If you are still unsure as to how much water is enough, or are unsure as to how your training affects consumption, about.com has a simple test here (http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm), which take less than a minute to complete and will give an exact amount.

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The Benefits of good hydration

Water and good hydration has many health benefits including being a natural skin moisturiser and aids proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin. This is what leads to that healthy glow. Water is the delivery system for nutrients around the body and many vitimins and minerals are only soluble in water. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs. Good hydration can prevent headaches, increase metabolism and regulate appetite. That dip that many of us have after lunch can often be due to dehydration, so a glass of water with breakfast and that mid-morning snack should become a habit.

How do you know if you are dehydrated?

Signs can include thirst, lethargy, joint and muscle pain, headaches and even constipation, dry skin and nausea, A strong odour and colouration in your urine is also a strong indicator. Note though that some b vitimins can colour the urine.

Bottled water

All about water.org (http://www.allabou****er.org/regulations.html) reports the following: -
Bottled water, because it is defined as a “food” under federal regulations, is under the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—under much stricter standards—regulates tap water. Thus, bottled water, depending upon the brand, may actually be less clean and safe than tap water. The EPA mandates that local water treatment plants provide city residents with a detailed account of tap water’s source and the results of any testing, including contaminant level violations. Bottled water companies are under no such directives.

Paul Chek recommends not drinking water from smokey or blue containers as they can leak chemicals (plasticides) into the water. He also recommends storing water in glass containers. if you must drink from plastic containers make sure they are clear and kept out of direct sunlight.

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Bottled water is more expensive in the UK than petrol and appears to not be a better alternative to tap water, however there are worries about the chlorine which is added to tap water, as well as other contaminants. Inline water fliters offer the healthiest solution, as they remove more contaminats than other methods and they are more economically viable. Water filters by removing chlorine and other contaminants make the water smell and taste better.

Llamageddon
09-Mar-2011, 04:51 PM
Fantastic artcle, Simon.

I read somewhere/was told once (something like that) that if you feel properly thirsty you're already on your way to dehydration. In other words you shouldn't wait until you feel thirsty to have a drink!

simon s
09-Mar-2011, 05:04 PM
Fantastic artcle, Simon.

I read somewhere/was told once (something like that) that if you feel properly thirsty you're already on your way to dehydration. In other words you shouldn't wait until you feel thirsty to have a drink!

Thank you.
I really should follow my own advice, I'm nearly always dehyrated and my hands feel of if they have no natural oil in them at all.
I don't really like the tatse of water unless it is cold, so on training day I mix an orange sport drink 50/50 with water. Not sweet and sickly and replaces the fluids and salts.

If you are dehydrated I was told not to hydrate too fast, as you can effectively flush salts and minerals from your body.

Llamageddon
09-Mar-2011, 05:05 PM
Yep, I think this is why you can feel sick if you drink to quickly when dehydrated

Val
09-Mar-2011, 05:25 PM
I really like this article, I find a lot people lacking what i call "proper hydration" when it comes to such physical activities as Martial Arts and other competitive sports. Never leave drinking till you feel like "oh man i need a drink" because it's too late at that point. Stay properly hydrated the whole time you plan on working out.

Southpaw535
09-Mar-2011, 07:15 PM
Good article, I need to get on top of my plain water intake rather than squashes. Something bothering me though is using that formula I'm meant to drink 3 pints a day to stay hydrated so where's this "8 glasses a day thing come from?

Van Zandt
09-Mar-2011, 07:32 PM
Does this calculation for recommended daily allowance of water take into account H2O content in food? For example, vegetables like cucumber have a very high water content value.

seiken steve
09-Mar-2011, 08:06 PM
Great article.
By your formula I should be drinking 3 litres a day. Which sounds about right.
For ease I just shoot for a gallon.
For a sports drink I mix 1 part OJ to 1.5-2 part cool boiled water add a dash of lemon juice and bottle.

simon s
09-Mar-2011, 09:08 PM
Does this calculation for recommended daily allowance of water take into account H2O content in food? For example, vegetables like cucumber have a very high water content value.

Good question. I found this answer on about.com.

At least twenty percent of the water you need will come from the foods you eat. The rest will come from the beverages you drink.

Van Zandt
09-Mar-2011, 10:50 PM
Thank you, Simon.