Thirst Quencher

6 Nov 2014

Tags: bootcamp brisbane, bootcamp melbourne, bootcamp sydney, health, nutrition,

Ever wondered why you’re so tired all the time despite having plenty of sleep, a couple of coffees in the morning to pep you up and a good hearty breakfast. There is a myriad of things that could possibly cause this, be it from mineral deficiencies, to parasites, to over-training or consuming too much sugar but did you ever think that it could possibly be that you are SUFFERING from dehydration?

In last week’s blog we showed you how to calculate the minimum amount of water to drink every day based on your body size but it is incredible to learn just how few people actually match that every day!

There are a few obvious signs that may help you figure out that you’re not getting enough H2O, such as

Bright yellow urine (unless you’re taking vitamins- particularly from the B group)
Dry mouth and lips
Loss of appetite or craving sugar
Flushed skin
Light-headedness and/or headaches

Feeling droned out is a bit of a silent symptom of dehydration and one that many people don’t really think about or acknowledge.

To work out how much water you should be drinking follow the formula below. Remember this DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT your activity levels, medication you’re on or any other influencing factors such as the weather, pregnancy or illness. Drink MORE in these cases.

Your weight in kg’s x 0.0333

Example for a 65kg female

65kg’s x 0.033

65 x 0.033

= 2.145L of Water

Remember some beverages are better than others. Avoid any diuretics such as alcohol, caffeine and soft drinks that simply pull water from the body and promote the production of urine.

If you are training heavily and frequently you may want to include some form of electrolyte or try adding some citrus, cucumber, fresh herbs or a pinch of celtic sea salt to your water to ensure your body absorbs what you are drinking effectively.

The best way to increase your consumption is to sip consistently throughout the day. The main reason for this is the kidneys will be able to process it better without assuming there is a flood and flushing it all away. This also helps them bring a pattern change in where you become more aware of it as a day long routine.

If you are constantly suffering from fatigue and sleepiness have a look at exactly how much water you’re drinking, track it for a week and see whether an increase in the volume of water you consume helps you out.