Freakin' Fitness > Don’t go low on H2O

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I’m a water junkie. I sip, swig, guzzle, or gulp down some water at least once every 90 minutes throughout the day. Because drinking water is one of the easiest and most effective strategies for increasing your energy availability and enhancing your energy expenditure. Water is truly the magic elixir. It constitutes the major ingredient in your life, weighing in at roughly 60% of your body weight, 83% of your blood content, 75% of your gray matter, and 79% of your big red heart!

You probably don’t know that each and every day your body loses about two quarts of water through exhalation, evaporation of perspiration, and urination. Also, this fluid loss increases in hot and humid weather, with physical exercise, and during times of stress and illness.

Unfortunately, a red light doesn’t start blinking to indicate water loss in your body like the one on your car dashboard does when the engine reaches the danger zone. However, you may see red lights and become dizzy and light-headed from a low-water state of dehydration. But please, you should never wait until that point to fill up your tank. By then, damage is already being done. Any time you suffer the common complaints of headaches, irritability, poor concentration, and fatigue, you may be suffering from dehydration and a system that’s low on H2O.

Even mild dehydration can cause problems and ultimately keep success at bay. When you’re low on H2O, you will experience decreased energy, endurance, and physical performance. Just think how hard it is to kick up your second wind at the end of a work day or school day to pursue your passions and quality family time when you’re feeling tired and run down. Research has demonstrated that just a 2% decrease in your body weight from dehydration may result in a performance decrease of 10-to-20 %. This deficiency can also trigger a decrease in your short-term memory. And it’s very important to note that it can cause a slowing of your metabolism by as much as 3%. And the slower and lower your metabolic rate, the less calories are burned for fuel, and consequently, the more calories are potentially stored as body fat. So not only will drinking water throughout the day help to enhance your energy level, but it may also assist in your losing weight. Now that’s what I’m talking about…more water, more weight loss.

As part of my morning ritual, the last stop I make before I head to work is the kitchen refrigerator. With my briefcase and keys in one hand, I snatch a bottle of cold spring water with the other hand to accompany me on my morning commute. While most people have the insulated coffee cup nestled in their armrest, by the time I start my workday my body is a pint of water stronger.

During my decades-long involvement with professional athletes as a physical therapist, physical conditioning coach, and then as the Philadelphia 76ers president, I’ve noticed that there was always one common denominator at every practice and game: H2O!

There may have been additional fluids available, including the colored barrels of Gatorade or some special “sports drink” concoctions, but I don’t ever remember not seeing an ample supply of water. In fact, “Water Break” is probably the sweetest phrase athletes hear during practice. And unlike old times – when athletes were advised to just rinse their mouths out and avoid swallowing water for fear of causing cramps – modern sports medicine research demonstrates that water must be ingested regularly during practice and games in order to perform at optimum efficiency and to avoid dehydration.

So, practically speaking, if water is the preferred drink of individuals who use their bodies for a living and who need to muster a mountain of energy for prolonged periods of time, then it should surely be your drink of choice, too. Right? Yes, that’s right! And I advise you to choose to drink at least a cup every 90 minutes throughout the entire day. Don’t go low on H2O. -- PC