What Happens to Your Body When You Become Dehydrated?

Dehydration in its simplest terms is defined as an excessive loss of body fluid. For any of you sports athletes out there, you all know the detriment dehydration can do to your body. But what exactly is going on with your body, physiologically, when you become dehydrated?

There are three main types of dehydration. Hypotonic, the loss of electrolytes. Hypertonic, the loss of water. And isotonic, the loss of both electrolytes and water. The most common type seen in humans is isotonic dehydration.

Bascially, your body is not getting the amount of water and electroytes it needs for proper functioning. And when this happens, your body literally begins to shut down. If not remedied, this can lead to neurological complications like seizures and eventually death. Yikes.

Symptoms of dehydration start to occur before you may even realize you are dehydrated. You may experience headaches, muscle cramping, dizziness or fainting. Other symptoms include dryness of your skin, an elevated heart rate, loss of appetite and constipation. Most people will start to realize once they get to this point that they are dehydrated. They usually will just start to feel thirsty before it even gets to this point. Sometimes though, people will experience headaches and muscle cramping, before realizing that they are thirsty. A lot of times, if you find yourself not feeling right, drinking water will always help.

It is best to always drink as much water as you can throughout the day and avoid substances like caffeine, alcohol and too much sodium.

The Perfect Sports Drink for Junior

Vitalyte has been an amazing sports hydration drink for years now, helping athletes reach their goals and giving them the strength they need to keep on going. Already alive and well in the adult arena, Vitalyte is also great for kids. While kids always seem to have this bottomless pit of energy, they could also really benefit from the delights of Vitalyte.

How many of you have kids who play sports? Perhaps it’s your daughter, who goes to soccer practice three time a week and spends all day Saturdays running back and forth across a field. Or maybe it’s your son who’s on the high school cross-country team, running 10 plus miles a day. Whatever activity your children partake in, Vitalyte is the best sports nutrition drink out there. A friend of mine recently told me a great story. Her daughter had three back-to-back soccer games one Saturday. Usually, three games in a row would tire the girl out. Her mom however, gave her Vitalyte throughout the day and it did the trick. Her daughter was not only able to get through all three games, but she even had a little energy left over after. Now if that doesn’t sound like an awesome drink, we don’t know what does.

The unique key to Vitalyte is that it has more electrolytes than you can ever imagine. When you’re working up a sweat, electrolytes are key to keeping your body hydrated. And hydration is key to endurance. We know moms and dads everywhere will be crazy about this product!

Electrolytes for Your Hangover Cure

It is possible that "What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas" but after a great night of clubbing your second night in town, your hangover may just keep you from having a good time for the rest of your weekend! Is it possible to eleviate one completely? Some say yes. Keep in mind if you don't drink very often at home, don't think you can handle partying like a superstar when you get to Vegas and not pay the price.

So what is the definition of a hangover? Many people might say they recognize it when they get one! Hangovers change from person to person, and can lead to a severe headache to a full blown vomit fest and feeling of "blah". Actual hangover symptoms are headaches, redness of the eyes, increased sensitivity to light and sound, muscle aches, thirst and fatigue.

Truly, a hangover is the outcome of your body being dehydrated, and still a little withdrawal from all of the recent alcohol in your blood stream. The answer to your dehydration and a hangover cure? Electrolyte Replenishment.

Hydrate the Skin You're In

Keeping hydrated is one of the most important factors in maintaining good healthy skin that will make you look younger and reduce the problems that many people face with their skin as they age.

It is not sufficient to expect applications of moisturizers to keep the skin hydrated - it must come from within first and foremost and then the moisturizers will add additional support to maintaining good skin condition.

To remain hydrated you need to drink sufficient water throughout the day. Tea, coffee and other beverages are not a substitute for water and many of these drinks can actually cause dehydration.

If you are feeling thirsty then you are already becoming dehydrated. You need to drink water on a regular basis so you don't become thirsty and just because you might have heard that you need to drink 8 glasses of water per day you should be aware that drinking all the water at one time is in no way the correct method of remaining hydrated.

Also - drinking excessive amounts of water can be detrimental to your health as it can flush out too many nutrients from your body that are necessary to maintain a healthy youthful appearance.

Water is also a very good source of energy just as a lack of it will cause fatigue. When you have boundless energy you can't help but look younger and you will certainly feel younger which, at the end of the day, is the more important of the two.

Your skin will become lifeless and tired looking when dehydrated and you will be more susceptible to skin damage and wrinkles. All other aspects of your health will be struggling when there is a lack of water and accordingly there will be other areas of aging that will be affected.

An Interesting Study About Staying Hydrated

According to a study conducted by scientists at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) in Barrington, IL, athletes consistently underestimate how much water they need to stay hydrated. The study concluded athletes could not estimate their sweat losses and fluid consumption during a 10-mile race. Eighteen seasoned runners participated in the study. The results showed that the runners drastically underestimated how much sweat they lost and consequently drank too little to stay well hydrated. The runners underestimated their sweat losses by an average of 46 percent and their fluid intake by an average of 15 percent, resulting in the runners replacing only 30 percent of their fluids lost through sweat.

"These data show that even the most experienced runners are unable to accurately estimate their sweat losses and cannot subjectively judge how much fluid to drink to prevent dehydration," said Mary Horn, M.S., co-author of the study and exercise sensory scientist at GSSI. "If seasoned athletes such as these do such a poor job of judging their fluid needs, the potential for dehydration may be more severe for the average exerciser, especially during the hot summer months."

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the week, and make water a permanent and consistent part of your day. After all, it's good for you.

Tips to Staying Hydrated

Many people, especially those in hot weather climates, have challenges with staying hydrated. People simply don't know how much water is needed, and what basic, daily activities will dehydrate their bodies. Hydrating yourself is simple if you follow a few easy tips. These tips are especially important when participating in a weekly exercise program.

1. It is important to limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine naturally dehydrates the body, causing immediate dehydration. While that morning coffee or latte at Starbucks sounds great, try going for a morning walk to gain the energy you need for your day.

2. Upon waking consume 16 oz. of water in the morning. This will not only hydrate your body it will give your system a much needed jump start for the day. The human body actually loses water during sleep.

3. Don't wait until your thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you have probably already lost two or more cups of your total body water composition.

4. Throughout the day, consume one gallon of water. While this may sound like a lot of water, if you fill up a milk jug size bottle with water, and drink it throughout the day, you will see it's not that hard. It is important not to consume more than 2 gallons of water. This will flush the body of important vitamins and minerals needed for daily activity.

5. For every hour of working out, consume AT LEAST 16 ounces of water or a sports drink. This will keep your body functioning at 100% of its capabilities. In addition, when finished exercising, drink at least 8 ounces of a sports drink.

Ask Yourself These Questions

How do you know if you are not getting enough fluids? Check off the questions that you can answer "yes" to:

1) Is your skin dry? If you wrinkle it or pinch jt, does it take awhile to "bounce back?"

2) Is your urine dark? It should be a light yellow.

3) Are you frequently constipated?

4) Do you get groggy or headachy part way through the day?

5) Do you have a lot of trouble staying cool - or keeping warm?

A "yes" to anyone of these questions does mean you're not getting enough water. Any of these conditions could be lessened by taking in more fluids. However, every one of these problems or complaints can also be caused by something other than dehydration - sometimes by something very serious. But normally you can feel safe prescribing "extra water" for yourself to get your body to perform at its best.

Monitoring How Much Water You Need

Ways to monitor your fluid status: You can easily keep an eye on your hydration status.

Monitor your urine output: If you are hydrated, you should go to the bathroom frequently. If you don't produce much urine or if it is very dark in color, chances are that you are dehydrated. Ideally urine should be pale or colorless. Remember some medicines, vitamins and dietary supplements may also change the color of your urine.

Within two hours of a workout or competition, aim to get back to your pre-exercise weight: Weigh yourself before and after workouts to ensure that you are not losing too much fluid. Remember losing weight by losing fluid or becoming dehydrated is not the way to get the pounds off.

Every person perspires at different rates depending on their biological make-up. If you are a heavy sweater, make sure that you use a beverage containing sodium during workouts. Eat and drink foods and fluids with sodium after your workout to replenish the sodium lost in sweat.

To stay hydrated: Drink at least two glasses of water when you get up in the morning.

Drink two glasses of water 1-1 1/2 hours before your workout. Keep sipping fluid after every 10-15 minutes during your workout.

Don't wait until you are thirsty to decide to drink. Your thirst sensation runs quite a bit slower than your body's need for water. By the time you realize that you're feeling thirsty, your body will already be suffering from drought. Most experts suggest that you drink before you get thirsty. Even if you're just pushing a long distance - drink water before, during, and after.

People doing intense or long-duration workouts are prone to heavy, repeated sweating, then lose a high amount of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium). These people can replenish the body by having salty fluids and foods like energy/sports drinks, tomato juice, orange juice, grape juice, milk, potato, bananas, spinach, canned soups and beans.

Hydrate for Good Health

We humans are more than 70 per cent water. Taking enough fluids is the basis for keeping your body working at its best. We begin to get dehydrated and our performance drops off with just two per cent water loss. What can cause a two per cent water loss? It doesn't take much. It can happen to an athlete who's competing, and even to someone who's in bed with the flu or diarrhoea, in the very hot weather to all of us or even to someone who just doesn't drink enough water. Water is continuously lost from the body partly in urine and stools (approximately 1.5 litres), partly in sweat and partly as water vapour in respiration. Even mild dehydration of one per cent in the body, which would represent approximately 0.75 to one litre of water (1 per cent of 75 kg = 750 ml) can create a reduction in muscle performance and the person could start to show dehydration symptoms.

Early symptoms are headaches, dry eyes (ask any contact lens wearer what happens after a couple of glasses of wine), drowsiness, loss of concentration and irritability. If you don't meet your fluid needs, you can also experience frequent muscle cramps.

Since all these things are worsened by dehydration it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that keeping hydrated is important for you. The more you weigh, the greater your fluid needs. Dehydration can have a negative impact on your daily activities. By drinking adequate fluids, you will also decrease the chances of getting injuries.

Athletes Need Electrolytes for Hydration

Did you know that by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated? Dehydration, as little as a 2% loss in fluid, negatively impacts your body and your mind. Dehydration can cause confusion, irritability, constipation, drowsiness, fever, and thirst More signs and symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include dry, sticky mouth, muscle weakness, stiff joints, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, cramping, decreased urine, cool extremities, slow capillary refill, and sunken eyes. You can usually reverse mild to moderate dehydration by increasing your intake of fluids.

For athletes or those with physical jobs, the inability to perform and focus as a result of mild dehydration may increase the risk of injury. Athletes and those with physical jobs may suffer a loss of performance of up to 30%. They may experience flushing, low endurance, rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, and rapid onset of fatigue. It is imperative that you drink enough fluid before, during, and after your workout or work shift.

Severe dehydration is the loss of 10-15% of body fluids and is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care. The signs and symptoms of severe dehydration include extreme thirst, irritability and confusion, very dry mouth, dry skin and mucous membranes, lack of sweating, little or no urination, any urine that is produced will be dark yellow, sunken eyes, shriveled and dry skin, rapid heartbeat, fever, coma, and even death. Dehydration of any kind will not correct itself

Dehydration Causes Fatigue; How to Avoid This

Tiredness is something that plagues us all at times, and it is hard to know if your tiredness is excessive or normal. Regardless of its extent, there are quite a few simple things one can do to cure tiredness with minimal effort and just slight lifestyle changes. Dehydration symptoms are often a factor in tiredness. "If you become dehydrated, you reduce your blood volume so your heart's got to work harder to pump the same volume around," says Dr Trent Watson, spokesman for the Dietitians' Association of Australia. Here are a few ways to promote health and alertness, reduce fatigue, and remain hydrated.

Dehydration symptoms may include headaches, muscle cramps, visual impairment and lowered blood pressure or hypotension. Even dizziness and fainting can be dehydration symptoms and in extreme cases delirium and unconsciousness have been known to become present. Of course, dehydration that isn’t addressed can eventually cause death.

It only takes a 2% loss of ones normal water volume in the body to start experiencing dehydration symptoms. Thirst is the first thing people usually notice. Dry skin and constipation are additional early warning signs. What’s more, athletes may experience a reduction in athletic performance when they are dehydrated.

Drinking Habits

A typical response to the brain's signal to drink fluid is often the opposite of what our bodies actually need. We drink because of habit, ritual or taste, not because we are thirsty. The signal for thirst becomes grossly distorted.

We wind up drinking even more drinks that dehydrate our bodies when, in reality, our bodies are thirsty for life enhancing Vitalyte. When we drink soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, we become thirstier and wind up drinking even more soft drinks or more alcohol. Sound familiar?

What Drinking Habits Contribute to Dehydration?

We drink soft drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, juice, milk, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. These popular drinks may be enjoyable but are they providing the adequate body hydration that is the foundation of health and vitality?

Soft drinks, both colas and uncolas, have no real nutritional value. Acids are used to carbonate soft drinks and chemicals are often used to flavor these beverages. Damage to your teeth may occur. Bones may weaken with extensive use. Carbohydrates in soft drinks slow down the absorption of water in the body. Soft drinks promote weight gain. The diet soft drinks contain unhealthy sweeteners and additives.

Weight Loss and Dehydration

If you're stalled on a weight loss plateau despite sticking to your diet, the first thing to check is your fluid intake. Research suggests that most Americans unknowingly suffer from mild, chronic dehydration, and you could be one of them!

So why should you care? Because sports drinks are an essential ingredient for your weight loss. In fact, water is needed for a wide range of the body's biochemical processes, but lets just look at what water does for dieters:

Vitalyte is essential for your body to metabolize stored fat into energy - so much so, that your body's metabolism can be slowed by relatively mild levels of dehydration. And the slower your metabolism, the slower your weight loss (and the greater your fatigue), until eventually your weight loss just crawls to a halt, and you hit the dreaded diet plateau.

What to Reach For After a Workout

You have just completed your work out knowing that you have just burned up a bunch of calories but it has left you in serious need of fluids. What do you reach for; sports drinks, chocolate milk or water? What you choose at this point can make or break your fitness efforts.

What you choose to drink after a work out depends on your type of work out and your goals.

Are Sports Drinks the Best Option? Your first instinct might be to reach for a sports drink. Commercials and advertisements bombard us for sports drinks. They claim to rehydrate you better than anything else and replace minerals that your body may have lost during your workout. Is it true though?

Well actually it is true; sports drinks are a great way to rehydrate if you don't mind the calories. Sports drinks do have all the electrolytes and minerals needed to replenish what is lost in an extensive workout. An additional advantage of sports drinks is that they are flavored which encourages most people to drink the amount of liquid need to replenish after working out.

Get a Healthy Sports Drink

Unlike earlier times, people have now more options to stay healthy and live longer. The immense improvements in health science has resulted in new stocks of healthy sports drinks being manufactured. Since sports are played with a lot of enthusiasm and the sportsmen have to expend a lot of energy, they need to be constantly fed with something that can keep their energy levels up. Healthy sports drinks contain the necessary ingredients that can energize their body cells and make them feel refreshed.

Sportsmen have to exert themselves physically, which takes a heavy toll on their bodies. Since physical exertion saps a lot of energy, sportsmen need something to supplement their energy needs. Sports drinks can work like an elixir for them.

Sportsmen sweat out a lot and face the risk of getting dehydrated. Healthy sports drinks help maintain optimum water level in their bodies. Sports drinks are also known to improve oxygen flow in their blood. Sportsmen need a lot of stamina to optimize their performance in various sports meets and competitions. Remaining physically fit has to be their prime goal.

Are Sports Drinks More Effective Than Water?

Experts tell us that water is the best liquid of all to hydrate you after exercise - but only if you drink it. Which brings us to taste. Sports drinks usually taste better than plain water, which means we will drink more. Any drink that is high in sugar will take longer to be absorbed into the body, therefore it will take longer to get re-hydrated. That is one reason that water is the best. It is absorbed very quickly.

Coffee, tea and alcohol should not be used for re-hydration at all due to their diuretic action; leave them to enjoy at a later date. If you don't like the taste of water, you are likely to stop drinking before your body is sufficiently hydrated. Of the up side, water is free and will not add any more calories, no matter how much you drink.

The greatest benefit of sports drinks is that they supply electrolytes which may have been lost if the exercise was long and heavy, such as in a game like football or hockey. The usual sweet/tart taste of a sports drink does not actually quench your thirst, so you'll drink more. That will ensure that your body is re-hydrated. You'll get more carbohydrates from a sports drink, but not as many as fruit juices offer.

Drinking Habits and Dehydration

We drink soft drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, juice, milk, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. These popular drinks may be enjoyable but are they providing the adequate body hydration that is the foundation of health and vitality? The answer is no.

Soft drinks, both colas and uncolas, have no real nutritional value. Acids are used to carbonate soft drinks and chemicals are often used to flavor these beverages. Damage to your teeth may occur. Bones may weaken with extensive use. Carbohydrates in soft drinks slow down the absorption of water in the body. Soft drinks promote weight gain. The diet soft drinks contain unhealthy sweeteners and additives.

Coffee and tea, both diuretics, tend to promote water loss. A diuretic is any substance that tends to increase the flow of urine, which causes the body to get rid of excess water. The term diuretic suggests that the kidneys are required to take more water out of your bloodstream even as you are taking water into your digestive system by drinking. If you add milk, sugar, or chocolate to your coffee or tea, the rate of water absorption is reduced even further.

Alcohol consumption dehydrates your body. Alcohol promotes water loss by depressing production of the anti-diuretic hormone called vasopressin. Vasopressin acts on the kidneys. It concentrates the urine by promoting the reabsorption of water and salt in the body. Vasopressin helps to regulate the concentration of fluids in the body. Interference with its function leads to an increased loss of body fluid from urination, which can lead to dehydration.

Dehydration Affects How You Look

Here’s an interesting theory – try to drink as much fluid as you can in order to prevent dehydration. Why is this a bizarre concept? Most people drink water once they are already thirsty, but drinking before you are thirsty is the key to healthy looking skin.

If you want to know the best anti-aging secret in the world, all you have to do is look at your kitchen sink. Since the body is composed of mostly water, it only makes sense that you should have to drink lots of fluids to replenish the skin every day.

You see, your skin will lose water nearly every minute of the day. Skin tends to sweat throughout the day (whether or not you notice it), which means that water is escaping your skin and evaporating. Thus, if you take the time to drink fluids throughout the day, you can bet that your skin will reflect this healthy decision.

Skin that is dehydrated often looks sallow, worn, dry, and wrinkled. In order to keep skin’s collagen intact, you must make sure that you consume enough water. Many people try time and again to find the latest anti-aging trick. The truth is that water is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your skin’s collagen.

How much water should you drink? One half of your body weight in ounces should be consumed every day. If you weight 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces of water (3.13 quarts, 2.98 litres or about 10-12 cups of water a day). If you weigh closer to 100 pounds you will need only about 50 ounces of water or about four 12-ounce glasses daily. The best way to consume this much water is to keep a glass by your side at all times. If you are active, this amount should be increased.

If you aren’t sure whether or not your skin is dehydrated, try this simple test: get into the habit of drinking at least eight glasses of water per day. After one week, see whether or not your skin’s condition improves. Most people will find that their skin takes on a rosy, youthful, healthy look.

While purchasing natural skin care products are essential for your skin, learning all you can about proper skin care health is also crucial. Eating well, drinking lots of water, including a dietary supplement in your diet, and exercising nearly every day are all great ways to look younger almost immediately

There are lots of things you can do to stop your skin from aging. Many of these things are quite complex, but most of these things are actually quite simple. Begin by drinking more water than you ever have before. If you are like most people living within North America, your skin is likely parched.

Prevent Yourself from Becoming Dehydrated

Dehydration or hypohydration refers to the loss of water within the body. It can occur at any time, within any sport and should be avoided as it can cause further complications within the body. It is caused by a prolonged physical activity, among other things, where water has not been consumed at an adequate level.

Although in the water, swimming is a strenuous sport that can induce dehydration - especially when one is swimming for long periods of time. It is important to keep hydrated to maintain endurance, health and balance through the body while partaking in the sport. Here are some ways that can help to prevent dehydration while swimming.

It is important to know the symptoms of dehydration - and check for these symptoms regularly should you be immersed in the water for extended periods of time. These symptoms are the increased urge to urinate, a dry mouth, or swollen tongue - and weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Although there is an increased urge to urinate, there may be little urination that actually occurs. When one is dehydrated, the urine is often stronger in color when one is suffering from dehydration.

In order to understand the importance of drinking electrolytes, you need to know how your body regulates fluids. The organ in your body responsible for monitoring the levels of water inside your body is your kidney. If you were unable to take in ample fluid for the day, the hypothalamus (a gland that is found in the brain) will ask the pituitary gland to tell the kidney to conserve water by secreting anti-diuretic hormones. Once the kidneys receive the message, they make urine more concentrated and they reabsorb more fluids. Furthermore, your brain also signals a feeling of thirst. Unfortunately for many, this signal is sometimes read as hunger pains.

Signs You May be Dehydrated

Dehydration can be defined as the condition in which the body experiences excessive loss of water. Usually experienced in the summer time, the most probable causes of dehydration include vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss and malnutrition. Apart from that, you can also get dehydrated if you do not drink enough fluids to replenish the water lost due to sweating and urination.

The Causes of Dehydration

There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur.

Abnormal connections that are between parts of the intestinal tract (fistula) may also lead to fluid depletion. A decrease in oral liquid intake may be due to nausea or loss of appetite; this may be worsened by an inability to keep things down (vomiting).

Vomiting and or diarrhea are other important causes. The vomiting might be due to the flu or any disease process therefore precautions must be taken when a loved one, again especially a child, is ill and is vomiting and or has diarrhea.

Symptoms of Dehydration

Parents often worry about dehydration when their children get sick and have diarrhea and vomiting. Fortunately, it is usually possible to avoid serious complications of dehydration by recognizing the early signs and symptoms of dehydration and getting quick medical attention.

Recognizing dehydration symptoms starts with an understanding of dehydration. Victims of dehydration do not have enough fluid (water) in their bodies to get nutrition and oxygen to the tissues of their bodies.

Mild dehydration - even if there is a relatively low level of fluid loss (causing a 1-2% loss of body weight) mild dehydration can cause the body to work less efficiently . However, mild dehydration carries few risks and can usually be easily treated by replacing lost fluids.

Dehydration Affects You and Your Child:

How it affects you: Being well-hydrated is important to your physical and mental health. Dehydration makes a person tired, cranky, and stiff-jointed. Being dehydrated can bring on headaches, nausea, aches and cramps -- and other, more serious physical ailments.