Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dehydration

I have a couple of friends (who shall remain nameless) who I believe suffers from chronic dehydration. This is very serious.... especially in long distance runners. This post is for all those people who aren't hydrating enough (coffee, beer and soda don't count!).


"Dehydration is the biggest cause of injury"
Dr Alex Ratelle- Anaesthesiologist and word ranked masters runner



The article below was taken from the www.symptomsofdehydration.com website.




The Causes of Dehydration

There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expell toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly. For a more complete list causes, visit the Wikipedia link in the dehydration information section.

The Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it's total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):

If the dehydration is allowed to continue unabated, when the total fluid loss reaches 5% the following effects of dehydration are normally experienced:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased respiration
  • Decreased sweating
  • Decreased urination
  • Increased body temperature
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Muscle cramps
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Tingling of the limbs

When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! 10% fluid loss and above is often fatal! Symptoms of severe dehydration include:

  • Muscle spasms
  • Vomiting
  • Racing pulse
  • Shriveled skin
  • Dim vision
  • Painful urination
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Seizures
  • Chest and Abdominal pain
  • Unconciousness
Please drink responsibly... 2 litres of water a day for someone weighing 70kg (154 pounds) is a great start!

Cheers.
Gotta run.

2 comments:

Care said...

About 70% of fat free mass of the human body is made of water. To function properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water a day to avoid dehydration; the precise amount depends on the level of activity, temperature, humidity, and other factors.

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