Exercise: The importance of adequate fluid intake

With the average person losing approximately 0.85 litres of water via perspiration, & 0.35 litres through breathing, its easy to understand why exercise increases our need for an adequate fluid intake, but what happens if we fail to provide our body with a sufficient supply of water?

Dehydration can not only have a damaging impact on temperature maintenance, but affect both our physical & psychological performance:

*Endurance - you will be unable to perform at the same intensity during aerobic exercise such as running & jogging - particularly when exercising for longer durations.

*Strength - a reduction in strength will occur during anaerobic exercise such as high exertion training over short durations i.e. weightlifting.

*Concentration - reduced concentration will result in a lack of accuracy when performing exercise related tasks such as catching or hitting a ball.

*Reaction - reaction times will decrease as a result of confusion.

In order to ensure optimum performance, it is essential to include regular water breaks throughout the duration of physical activity, & avoid postponing water consumption by waiting until the feeling of thirst kicks in - dehydration can develop even if the body has lost as little as 2% of its water content.
Exercise may be an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, but how we perform it is equally as important.