In the last few weeks the weather is getting warmer and its always great to get feel the sun’s warmth. However many of us forget a very important thing, WATER.
Water is essential for life and the warm weather means the bodies demand for water is much higher.
When we exercise the cells in our bodies produce heat as a waste product, the longer and more intensely we exercise the faster and higher the body temperature increases and if the body did nothing to cope with this increase it would have an adverse effect on our health. This is where staying hydrated before you get to this point is important; it allows your body to sweat which is the body’s way of cooling the temperature of the skin quickly. Breathing is also a lot easier as the lungs need moisture throughout its huge surface area to help with the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide, therefore the carbon dioxide is easily removed and the demand for oxygen by the muscles can be met, allowing you to exercise longer and preventing lactic acid build up and therefore cramp.
DEHYDRATION
During Exercise the dehydration you feel is short term. This means that the effects can be combated easily by just drinking more water. The human body isn’t very fast at detecting dehydration, when you feel thirsty you may have already lost 1-2% of your body weight in sweat. The effect of short term dehydration can vary but can include the following:
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Sore dry eyes
- Tiredness
- Lack of strength
- Finding it harder to breath
- Lack of focus
- Headaches
Obviously preventing this by staying hydrated is always the best thing, so every time you exercise you should drink water regularly, water bottles are in every Martial Art Concepts academy and the instructors understand the relationship between overheating, dehydration and effects this can bring, this is why we always suggest you drink between rounds.
It’s also important to remember that after you finish a great class your body temperature is still higher than the normal 37C and so you should still drink water after the class.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DRINKING
Bottled Water
Bottled water is usually tap water which has been purified using different methods to remove any previously added chemicals.
Natural Mineral Water
This water comes from a natural underground source and gets its mineral from the rocks it passes through. The mineral content is usually quite low.
Spring Water
This water comes from a natural spring source. It usually has a lower mineral content than mineral water.
Although both natural mineral water and spring water come straight from natural sources sodium content should still be taken into account as high sodium in the diet can speed up dehydration.
