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DEHYDRATION!!! |
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All summer, people are spending more time working and playing outdoors. When you’re exercising in hot, humid conditions, drinking enough of the right kinds of liquid is especially important. When the temperatures rise, it is essential to exercise with adequate fluid intake, and to replace the fluids you lose during athletic activity. Research by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) indicates that staying hydrated helps maintain athletic performance and reduces the risk of exertion-related illnesses such as cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. "Staying well-hydrated is probably the most important thing you can do to stay healthy and perform well during summer exercise," said Bill Martin, regional sports medicine coordinator at Health South Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center in Birmingham, Ala. "Evaporation, or sweat, is the body's way of cooling itself, and without adequate fluid in your system, your body is unable to do that. If you lose just one or two percent of your bodyweight during exercise, it negatively affects performance. A loss of more than three percent of bodyweight greatly increases the risk of heat stroke or heat exhaustion." How much liquid you need depends on your bodyweight, the activity you're engaged in and the outside temperature. "A good rule of thumb is to drink eight to ten ounces of water eight times a day," said Martin. "For the athletes are need 17 to 20 full ounces of water two or three hours prior to exercise to be properly hydrated. Then, during high- intensity training, we suggest an additional seven to ten ounces of liquid every 10 to 20 minutes." This exclude juices or sodas, which have sugar and caffeine. "The people who are most prone to heat-related illness are those who exercise during the hottest time of the day, those who don't take frequent breaks, or who wear tight-fitting, dark clothing." To prevent the worst consequences of dehydration, it is important to recognize the symptoms. Initially dehydration causes thirst, irritability and general discomfort. If the condition goes untreated, it can lead to headache, cramps, chills, nausea, vomiting, a sensation of heat in the head or neck, decreased performance, dizziness and even fainting." Heat exhaustion is the most common exertion-related heat illness. This results in profuse sweating, pale, cold and clammy skin, cramps, fast pulse and feeling faint. "Fortunately, treatment for heat exhaustion is fairly simple; just get out of the sun into a cool, dry place, and drink lots of fluids." Heat stroke is the most serious of the heat-induced illnesses. It is marked by hot, dry skin. The evaporative process has shut down, so the body has stopped sweating. Body temperature can rise to as much as 105 degrees. "This is a medical emergency and requires immediate transportation to an emergency room. Heat stroke actually can develop without exertion over the course of several days in an extremely hot environment, but exercise-induced heat stroke is most common," Martin explains. "Essentially, the person is sweating so fast that his or her body doesn't have time to cool itself off. When this happens, the organs can actually begin to shut down. This is probably what happened in the high-profile cases of some preseason football players who died during practice. "I often stress the need for high school athletes to have a pre-participation physical exam to see if they may be susceptible to heat-related illness, and to identify any other conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, that might affect their ability to perform," said Martin. "I also urge coaches and athletes to keep the lines of communication open so that players feel comfortable speaking up if they are not feeling well during training. Once they get to the point that they are nauseous or have a headache, they're in trouble." More about Avoiding dehydration |
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Why to Avoid Dehydration?
Even minor dehydration can lead to poor performance and reduced
coordination, as well as painful muscle cramps and early fatigue. In
severe cases, it can lead to heat-related illness, and even death.
Drinking plenty of liquid helps reduce the risk of overheating, and it’s the best way to ward off dehydration. With dozens of beverages to choose from, deciding which one is right for you can be a challenge.
Adequate fluid intake is vital to maintaining proper function of the heart
and other working muscles, as well as regulating body temperature.
When you don’t replace the fluids lost in sweat, you run the risk of
becoming dehydrated.
For most folks engaging in short periods of moderate-intensity activity in warm weather, water will do just fine. Because it requires very little in the way of digestion, water is easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and quickly delivered to the bloodstream.
An ice-cold soda may taste great on a hot day, but it’s not the best fluid-replacement beverage on the market. The carbonation in sodas tends to fill your stomach with air, making you feel full long before you’ve satisfied your body’s fluid requirements.
The high sugar content of regular soft drinks can also pose a few problems. If you’re exercising to lose weight, you probably don’t need the extra 160 calories found in most 12-ounce cans of soda.The sugar in soft drinks also requires digestion in the stomach before the body can use it. As a result, the liquid doesn’t reach the bloodstream as quickly as water.
While the caffeine in sodas may energize you and improve your performance to some degree, it also has a mild diuretic effect. Caffeine-containing beverages tend to promote fluid loss from the body rather than fluid retention.
Fruit juices are packed with vitamins and minerals, and in terms of nutrition, they’re far superior to soft drinks. As a fluid-replacement beverage, on the other hand, they’re not much better. Fruit juices have relatively high concentrations of the sugar fructose. Because fructose has a rather slow absorption rate, drinking undiluted fruit juices during exercise can lead to gastrointestinal distress, including abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
Sports drinks are an excellent choice for satisfying your body’s fluid requirements, especially if you’re working or playing vigorously for more than an hour. Sports drinks contain important electrolytes, including the minerals sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium, which are lost through perspiration.In addition to electrolytes, most popular sports drinks contain small amounts of carbohydrates. Not only do these carbohydrates fuel working muscles and help enhance endurance, they also give sport drinks a slightly sweet taste.
When it comes to fluid replacement, taste matters. Most experts agree that thirst is not always an accurate measure of the body’s fluid needs during periods of physical activity.
Folks who aren’t crazy about the taste of water may not drink enough of it during exercise to prevent dehydration. Several studies have demonstrated that when offered a choice, most exercisers drink substantially more of a flavored sports drink than water.
To further encourage adequate fluid intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that in warm weather, beverages should be kept cooler than the ambient temperature: typically between 59 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquids should be kept close at hand during activity, and should be served in sports bottles or other containers that allow for easy access on the go.
The ACSM recommends drinking early and often during activity. Consuming 17 ounces of liquid two hours before you begin exercising not only gives you a head start on your fluid intake, it also gives your body a chance to eliminate any excess fluid consumed.
It’s a good idea to drink every 15 minutes or so during activity, since it helps replace body fluids lost through perspiration. Staying well hydrated during exercise not only protects your health, it also improves your ability to concentrate and perform your best. Sipping fluids immediately following activity helps your body cool down and allows your muscles to recover more quickly.
Playing and exercising outdoors is a great way to have fun and get in shape. Making sure that you’ve got plenty of the right kind of liquid refreshment on hand will make your summertime activities a little safer, and a lot more enjoyable.
Source: This article is published to educate and aware the community about Dehydratation risk during the hot summer days and it was based from the article “Heat-related illnesses:learn the symptoms and warning signs” orinal written by Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H., is a family physician in Kingsport, Tenn., and author of “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is http://www.rallieonhealth.com.