WE ARE BEYOND EXCITED FOR OUR FALL SCHEDULE! STARTING SEPTEMBER 15... Feel free to take a sneak peak on your app. Scroll to September 15th and beyond to see all the new class additions, and class time changes.
SO HOW IMPORTANT IS HYDRATION ANYWAY? Do you ever have days where you just feel, well…dumb? It’s as if the word you need to finish your sentence just took a four-week-long vacation. Or your workout endurance did a swan dive off a cliff? Here’s the bad news- you probably are suffering from a case of what I like to call The Dumb. The good news? The Dumb can usually be cured with proper hydration. A few months ago, a viral news article dropped with the sensational claim that dehydration makes you just as impaired as being inebriated. The study published in Physiology and Behavior found, “The magnitude of decrement reported [of dehydration],was similar to that observed following the ingestion of an alcoholic beverage resulting in a blood alcohol content of approximately 0.08% (the current UK legal driving limit), or while sleep deprived.” Yikes. Before continuing, we have to agree on what it means to be dehydrated. Science has determined that a loss of 2% of body mass in fluid is the bottom line for dehydration. So, if you are a 150 lb person, a 3lb loss of fluids means you are officially dehydrated. On a hot day when you are pouring buckets of boob sweat, it doesn’t take much to lose 2% of your body’s water—especially this summer, when we’ve all been treated to an inferno. So, what happens when you lose, at minimum, 2% of your body’s water? According to a Meta-Study that reviewed 33 other studies looking at the effects of dehyrdation on the human body, “dehydration impairs cognitive performance, particularly tasks involving attention, executive function, and motor coordination when water deficits exceed 2% of body mass loss.” In other words, the very brain functions we need to function as adults. But why does dehydration cause so much chaos? We are composed of 60-70% water, and all chemical reactions in our body happen in this medium, especially in the nervous system. Lack of water is like having spotty cell service, the messages may or may not be sent. So yes, dehydration can be causing The Dumb. So how much water do you need? And more importantly, are you rehydrating correctly? (Yes, there is a correct way to drink water.) Every human has a different daily water requirement based on physical activity level, weight, sex, age, and air temperature. Generally, the medical community agrees that the average man needs around 3.7 L/day and the average woman needs 2.7 L/day. Thankfully, this amount includes water found in food. Unless you start your day with no fluids and a breakfast of popcorn, you can meet this requirement with a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, soups, and various beverages. But now that we are in convection oven weather, your water requirements might have changed. I can already hear it now. “But Bri! If I drink so much water I have to pee all the time.” If that’s the case, I’d wager you are drinking water incorrectly. Chugging water in one go freaks your body out. Your body perceives a large amount of water at one time as a danger, activating something known as the “bolus response.” To protect you from rapid hyponatremia- the dilution of salt in your blood, which is very dangerous- your body will excrete most of your water-chugging marathon. So you’ll still be dehydrated and running to the bathroom 75 times. Instead, it is far better to sip your water throughout the day. Contrary to popular belief, sipping water throughout the day will not make you live in the bathroom. In fact, one study done on water volume intake found that those who sipped water throughout the day not only retained more water (hydrated) but excreted less. If you are sweating significantly, adding electrolytes can help hydrate more efficiently. Now before I go further- I cannot stress this enough- if you have a heart or kidney condition please check with your doctor before you go messing with your electrolyte levels. If you have any of these conditions, messing with your electrolytes without medical supervision can be disastrous. With that out of the way, my favorite electrolyte replacement is LMNT- unlike many electrolyte supplements, it contains salt. It’s an acquired taste- read, watermelon-flavored ocean water. My next recommendation is Liquid IV, which you can find in any supermarket. If you aren’t feeling additives, coconut water is nature’s Gatorade. Or if you have few options, a pinch of sea salt in a glass of water will do. So next time a word escapes you or your body’s check engine light clicks on, check your water levels. See you in class! Briana SUMMER CHALLENGE ENDS ON AUGUST 17TH We've had a lot of fun over these last 9 weeks and we hope your challenge - YOU AGAINST YOU - was a success! We noticed you staying so focused and determined! Please stop by the front desk during the week of August 17 - 24 to have the front desk staff help you get your updated body composition numbers and see the results for yourself! If you'd like to share your results, we are all ears! But no pressure! It's YOU against YOU! Comments are closed.
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