Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) March 04, 2015
The biggest mistake made by athletes – especially amateur and child athletes – is failure to drink enough water before, during and after the exercise event. That was the conclusion of Robert A Weil, DPM, host of the Sports Doctor radio show, during an on-air interview with fresh water advocate and radio host Sharon Kleyne. Any sports participant, parent or coach, Weil and Kleyne agree, should monitor their water intake and know the early symptom of dehydration
Dehydration, according to Kleyne, is surprisingly common among the general population, including athletes, and can significantly impact performance.
Robert Weil is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) specializing in podiatry, orthotics and sports medicine. His weekly radio show, "The Sports Doctor" is heard on Healthy Life.net. Dr. Weil has worked with numerous athletes and advocates hydration as a major component of athletic training and fitness.
The syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show, hosted by Sharon Kleyne, is heard weekly on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. The education oriented show is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua® Research, a global research and technology center founded by Kleyne and specializing in fresh water, the atmosphere and dehydration. Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® is the Research Center’s signature product for dry and dehydrated eyes.
Kleyne interviewed Dr. Weil on the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show of February 25, 2015. For podcasts of that and other past shows, go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2207/the-sharon-kleyne-hour.
Seventy percent of the human body is water and every function of the body depends on water, according to Kleyne and Weil. This includes muscle movement and the neurotransmitters controlling muscle movement. Even bones are 10 percent water. The human body, Kleyne adds, constantly eliminates used water and must constantly replace it with new water. The more active the body, the more water is required.
Nearly everyone is slightly dehydrated, says Kleyne. Dehydration, or loss of body water, begins birth and continues throughout life. Perspiration, heavy exercise and hot weather can quickly dehydrate a body to the point of illness or death. Cold weather can also be dehydrating, as can wind, indoor forced air heating and cooling and insulated walls and windows.
Even humid weather can be dehydrating because it prevents perspiration from evaporating and therefore from effectively cooling the body. When perspiration fails to cool, more perspiration is produced, draining the body of still more water.
A loss of 2 percent of the body’s water content can trigger early dehydration symptoms. A loss of greater than 10 percent can cause extreme physical and mental distress. Dehydration symptom can include thirst, headache, loss of appetite, loss of energy, confusion, fatigue, irritability, dry mouth, rapid breathing, constipation, insomnia, flushing, low endurance, rapid heart rate, fainting and swelling of the tongue.
Kleyne recommends drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water (8 ounces) a day, including two full glasses upon rising. Drinking the water as full glasses is preferable to sipping, Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugared drinks, which are dehydrating. Children 12 and under should drink half their body weight in ounces per day (a 50 pound child would drink 25 ounces of water).
While carrying and sipping bottled water is good advice, Kleyne suggests drinking full glasses whenever possible because large amounts of water are more easily accessed by the body. Most sports drinks are beneficial but should be in addition to the eight glass minimum. When an athlete loads up on carbohydrates or sugar, or uses an energy drink, water intake should be increased as these are all dehydrating.
Kleyne suggests drinking extra water before, during and after any strenuous activity.
Weil and Kleyne also discussed the childhood obesity epidemic. Kleyne noted that a well conditioned human body is about 70 percent water whereas an obese, out of shape body can be as low as 40 percent water. Obesity is therefore extremely dehydrating. Drinking extra water not only helps an obese person stay healthy, it facilitates weight loss by filling the stomach and reducing food cravings. According to Kleyne, obese people and the elderly tend to have difficulty distinguishing food cravings from water cravings.