Dehydration occurs when our body loses so much water that our cellular function begins to degrade. This can happen quickly (like on a hot day, or if you lose water while sick), or chronically (when you don’t drink enough water day-to-day, or suffer from conditions like IBS).
Dehydration typically doesn’t feel good, though people who are chronically dehydrated might be so accustomed to treating the symptoms that they don’t really realize that they’re dehydrated (ex. using chapstick all of the time, taking pain medication for headaches, etc.).
The Science of Dehydration
As mentioned above, dehydration happens when your body loses more water than it receives. There are three types of dehydration: 1) isotonic (water and salt are lost at the same time, like with vomiting), 2) hypertonic (more water than salt is lost, like with fever), and 3) hypotonic (more sodium than water is lost, like with diuretics). All three conditions arise from different causes, but all three can be treated in the same way - with an oral rehydration solution (ORS).
When we drink large amounts of water when we are dehydrated (like when working out or hiking on a hot day), without supplementing with salt and sugar, we are essentially flushing salts out of our body that are actually keeping us as hydrated as we are (within the context of already being dehydrated). It actually works against us, and ends up dehydrating us further. This is why oral rehydration solutions (electrolyte drinks!) are so important.
Common Dehydration Symptoms:
Muscle fatigue or weakness
Headaches
Dry lips and/or skin
Less frequent urination
Dizziness or confusion
Lethargy
The Role of Water
Water makes up roughly 60% of our bodies, and two-thirds of that water is located inside of our cells. Because water is essential to our cellular function, we can only last about 4 days without water. Moreover, water helps our bodies regulate temperature, keeps our muscles functioning well, helps us digest food and absorb nutrients, removes wastes…the list goes on!
Fun fact: Water and salt regulation in the body are largely governed by the hypothalamus, as directed by brain receptors called “osmoreceptors”. The hypothalamus sends signals to the kidneys, which control how much water is excreted from, or reabsorbed into, the body. It also stimulates the release of sodium when needed through the adrenals.
The Role of Salts
Salts, or electrolytes, have either a positive or negative charge when dissolved in water. You lose electrolytes when you use the restroom, and when you sweat.
Electrolytes conduct electrical charge, which helps facilitate chemical reactions in the body, maintain fluid homeostasis, and also facilitate muscle contraction. If you are dehydrated, you might notice that your muscles begin to cramp more easily.
Some common salts that the body needs include:
Sodium
Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium
Chloride
Phosphate
Bicarbonate
Because we lose a lot of sodium specifically, and because it’s involved directly in hydration, electrolyte powders typically contain more sodium than any other salt. However, potassium comes in second place in terms of prioritization. It serves similar purposes as sodium, and makes sure that our cells are absorbing the proper amount of water for hydration.
The Role of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are an important factor in properly hydrating, that most of us aren’t aware of.
Glucose specifically is responsible for helping sodium and water absorb through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. While some electrolyte brands brush off the role of sugar in hydration (branding themselves as healthy because of their “no added sugars”), it really is a necessary part of hydrating our bodies.
That doesn’t mean we should be dousing our water with salt and sugar all the time. However, it does mean that the solutions we drink that are specifically meant to replace electrolytes, should in fact be consumed with glucose.
Hydrogen's Impact on Hydration
Hydrogen water isn’t some mineral-packed superhero. It won’t increase your hydration levels just by the virtue of it being hydrogen water.
However it does reduce oxidative stress caused by the most damaging free radical in the body (hydroxyl), which literally decimates your cells. This selective antioxidant action creates the conditions in which the efficient absorption of water at the cellular level can most effectively occur.
So while it won’t automatically hydrate you like an electrolyte solution will, it can help mitigate chronic dehydration by making sure that your body is already hydrating to its fullest capacity on a daily basis.
Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) Recipe
This awesome ORS (my husband’s “electrolyte shake”) has been keeping us hydrated for some time now. ❤️
16oz water
1 scoop Keppi electrolytes
.5 tsp mineral salt
25g glucose (25g dextrose or 3 tbsp honey)
Optional: 5g creatine (creatine has neuroprotective benefits and also helps transform ADP into ATP for increased energy during exercise)
We use Keppi brand electrolyte powder because it contains a large amount of potassium, which most other brands do not. If you already eat up to 3000mg potassium in a day, then use another electrolyte powder! Otherwise, this will help fill in the potassium gap that most Americans have.
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