Determined To Succeed

Earth. Look at it. When we take a step back she is beautiful (that is when we aren’t completely killing her with oil spills, wars and deforestation – all blogs for another day). All of us have been taught how over 70% percent of the earth’s surface (71% to be more exact) is covered by water and how absolutely essential water is to maintain life on this fragile big blue marble spinning out in space.

Coming back a little closer to home today is Wednesday and you know what that means…mixed martial arts. As you know I’ve started taking mixed martial arts as a way to improve my overall fitness, tone up and hopefully lose the rest of the weight I need to get back to my original goal weight of 225 pounds. However, as I get my inner Daniel-san on, I am reminded of something extremely critical in any exercise regimen…the need for water. Today’s temperatures are going to exceed 95-degrees (yikes). With that in mind I thought it important to remind us all how important this amazing liquid is.

Even if today’s temps weren’t reaching surface-of-the-sun hot water is the most essential ingredient to a healthy life. Water has many important functions for the body including:

• Transportation of nutrients / elimination of waste products.
• Lubricating joints and tissues.
• Temperature regulation through sweating.
• Facilitating digestion.

Proper hydration is especially important during exercise and is essential to your comfort, performance and safety. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids. Studies have found that a loss of two or more percent of one’s body weight due to sweating is linked to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder to move blood through the bloodstream. This can also cause muscle cramps, dizziness and fatigue and even heat illnesses including heat exhaustion (the body’s response to dehydration and an excessive loss of water and salt through sweat which typically occurs after long periods of heat exposure) and heat stroke (a serious medical emergency in which the body’s cooling systems stop working and the core temperature can rise to dangerous levels. Symptoms of heat stroke include hot, dry skin, lack of sweating, a very fast pulse, confusion and perhaps seizures or coma. If untreated, heat stroke can be fatal).

There are several main causes of dehydration:

• Inadequate fluid intake
• Excessive sweating
• Failure to replace fluid losses during and after exercise
• Exercising in dry, hot weather
• Drinking only when thirsty

Because there is wide variability in the individual length and intensity of exercise, sweat rates, losses and hydration levels of individuals, it is nearly impossible to provide specific recommendations or guidelines about the type or amount of fluids people should consume while working out. There are, however, two simple methods of estimating adequate hydration:

1. Monitoring urine volume output and color. A large amount of light colored, diluted urine probably means you are hydrated; dark colored, concentrated urine probably means you are dehydrated.
2. Weighing yourself before and after exercise. Any weight lost is likely from fluid, so try to drink enough to replenish those losses. Any weight gain could mean you are drinking more than you need.

Also, while specific fluid recommendations aren’t possible due to each individual’s variability, most people can use the following guidelines as a starting point, and modify their fluid needs accordingly.

Hydration Before Exercise

• Drink about 15-20 fl oz, 2-3 hours before exercise
• Drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 min before exercise

Hydration During Exercise

• Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10-15 min during exercise
• If exercising longer than 90 minutes, drink 8-10 fl oz of a sports drink (with no more than 8 percent carbohydrate) every 15 – 30 minutes.

Hydration After Exercise

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses.
• Drink 20-24 fl oz water for every 1 lb lost.
• Consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.

And class, just so we have it all straight and know what to look for, here is a list of the early symptoms and most common signs of heat exhaustion:

• nausea
• dizziness
• weakness
• headache
• pale, cool and moist skin
• fast and weak pulse
• disorientation.
• paleness
• muscle cramps
• tiredness
• fainting

If heat exhaustion is left untreated, it may lead to heat stroke. The key difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion is the presence of confusion and other mental status changes during heat stroke. During heat stroke, the neurological system is affected and can cause odd behavior, delusions, hallucinations, and eventually seizures or a coma.

IMPORTANT:  At the first signs of heat exhaustion, you should stop activity and cool the body by seeking shade, shelter or a cool room, and drinking cold fluids.

MOST IMPORTANT: Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe.

Ok, my friends, there you have today’s lesson on the importance of water. As we all get ready for an incredibly hot day, no matter whether exercising or not, make sure you get plenty of water. Not only is it the best way to keep your body healthy, it’s also nature’s original soft drink.