Dehydration and water intake. We will address things like how much water should you drink, why it is important, and when that baseline amount should change
How much water should you drink per day:
There are a lot of factors on this number. However, there are some options to get a good baseline option. I have used and remember your weight in kilograms is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking per day. For example, 170-pound person is about 77 kg and should drink about 77 ounces of water per day. This will depend on various activities, the weather, other food or drink intake like increased alcohol or caffeine, and increased elevation here at Lake Tahoe. Track how much you are drinking and try and aim for your baseline at least. A lot of people these days are carrying water bottles with them as they go out and at least thinking of drinking water before they are thirsty. This is one of those things that we know we should be drinking water but tend to forget. Another way you can determine if you are getting enough water is the color of your urine. If your urine color is the same as apple juice, this is bad. There could be a lot of other health concerns, but sticking to the topic of water intake, try increasing your water consumption and change the color or your urine.
Why is water intake so important:
There are lot of potential concerns with being dehydrated. Common concerns that I see in my office are headaches, lightheaded, fatigue, and even the healing process. If your body does not have enough water and liquid to push things through your system, the cells needed for healing will be diminished and can delay healing for nearly everything including things like back pain or ankle sprains. So, a simple way to help things heal fast would be increase or at least make sure you are getting proper water intake. Other concerns could be heat exhaustion or heat stroke with a concern on your body being able to regulate your temperature. This is especially concerning around 4th of July with more people out on the lake in the hot sun for extended periods all at elevation.
When to “supplement” your water:
If your activity is less than one hour, a good rule of thumb, would be no need to supplement your water intake with things like Gatorade or electrolytes. These will add extra sugar and calories as well as sodium to your diet that would not be necessary. However, if the activity you are planning is more than one hour like running or biking for a few hours, this would be a good time to add those extra electrolytes. This is why long-distance athletes will have those sodium tablets. Another thing to consider is if you are a heavy sweater, you will lose those electrolytes fast and would need to be replaced earlier than that one-hour mark.
These are a few things to think about going into summertime and 4th of July activities. Again, monitor how much you are drinking and know your baseline.
Tahoe’s Premiere Sports Chiropractor
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