The human body consists of 75% of water: the brain and the muscles are 75% water, blood is 92% water and the bones are 22% water. The average adult loses about 10 cups of water a day through physical body functions such as breathing, sweating, urination and bowel evacuations. Other factors such as gymnastics, intense physical activity, dry and warm environments, illness, pregnancy and breastfeeding, increase the body's water needs. Therefore, you should aim to drink at least 8 large glasses of water a day.
It is not very difficult, therefore, to get dehydration, especially in the warm and dry months of the summer. If you lose even just 1.5% of your body water, you begin to touch the limits of slight dehydration. Beyond thirst, dehydration can have many negative - and often dangerous - effects on your body. Below are some of them.
It brings you fatigue
Your afternoon fatigue may be due to dehydration more than you think. When your body is dehydrated, your blood pressure falls, your heartbeat rises and the blood flow to your brain slows down. All these effects can give you fatigue. The lack of water in the muscles may also make you feel that some physical activities are even more difficult and tiring than before.
It can cause you headaches
Dehydration can cause headaches in a number of ways. Dehydration affects serotonin hormone levels in the body, which can cause headaches. In addition, the fine vessels of the brain quickly respond to body water levels (similar to excessive alcohol consumption), which can be caused by headaches or migraines. The next time you suffer from a headache try to drink one or two glasses of water and you may find that the headache will disappear. Also, eat a lot of fruit, which contain a lot of water.
It brings you bad mouth
It is very easy to forget to drink water when you have a heavy schedule in your work, but at the end of the day you may notice that people around you are standing unusually away from you when you open your mouth. Saliva has antibacterial properties. When your body is dehydrated, saliva production is reduced, resulting in bacteria in your mouth getting larger, causing bad mouth.
It makes you crazy
Dehydration can manifest itself as hunger and especially as a craving for sweets. This is particularly evident when you train. When you are training in dehydration, you use glycogen (stored carbohydrates) at a faster rate, consuming your stocks faster. So, once you complete your exercise, you are likely to get rid of carbohydrates to make up for glycogen levels and to prepare your body for the next workout.
Lose your training
Even slight dehydration can affect your ability to work hard on your training. Dehydration of the body by 2% causes a 10% reduction in athletic performance. The more the dehydration of the body increases, the more the performance gets worse. You may feel that your body is working at a tension of 8 while it actually works at a tension of 6.
Dry your skin and your hair
Keeping your skin and hair healthy and shiny requires adequate water consumption so that you are moisturized from the inside out. If you exercise daily or if you consume a lot of caffeine or alcohol, you need to consume more water. Also, to have a soft and hydrated skin and to avoid drying your skin and hair, the showers should be short-lived and made with lukewarm and not hot water.
It can affect your ability to drive safely
If you are going to drive for many hours, you might think you do not want to stop to go to the toilet and so avoid drinking water before traveling. This may sound reasonable, but research has shown that in a two-hour drive, drivers who have been dehydrated have made twice as many mistakes as those made by people with normal hydration. Dehydration had the same effect as if they were drunk.
It brings you a bad mood
Do you have a bad mood? Drink a glass of water and your mood will improve. Dehydration can cause irritation. One study monitored mood and concentration in 25 young women who either took enough fluids to be adequately hydrated, or were in a state of mild dehydration by taking diuretics and doing exercise. Women who suffered from dehydration (1% less than normal) reported headaches, lack of concentration and irritation.
It causes dizziness and darkness
Together with the muscles, your brain receives less blood when you suffer from dehydration, which can cause dizziness. In addition, even the slightest dehydration can affect your ability to practice spiritual work and cause you trouble.
It can bring you crap
When you suffer from dehydration, your body restricts blood circulation to the skin. In addition, warm weather. So when you suffer from dehydration, it is more difficult for your body to adjust its temperature.