Did you know that even mild amounts of dehydration can create big impacts to our performance? A number of studies show notable decreases in strength, endurance and cognitive function when even just slightly dehydrated. For those who want to perform and feel their best, this makes hydration key!

I was surprised to learn that our thirst doesn’t keep up with our body’s needs for hydration!

This means that we need to be strategic about our hydration throughout the day and factor in exercise, temperature, sauna use, and daily environments (work outside vs. inside, hot vs. cold). The type of water (tap vs. filtered) and mineral content are also key to proper absorption. This is discussed below as well. But first, lets understand the symptoms of dehydration.

Signs of Mild Dehydration

• If you have a dry mouth or thirst, you are already dehydrated!
• Another common symptom is fatigue and headaches or migraines.
• Even if you are just having trouble concentrating or have a foggy brain, look to hydration.
• Muscle cramps (can also be lack of minerals) can also be a sign of mild dehydration.

Signs of Chronic Dehydration

Being dehydrated over the long term can create some miserable health conditions including:

• Heartburn
• Back and/or joint pain
• Constipation
• Exercise induced asthma

How much water should I be drinking each day?

¹In the first 10 hours you are awake, you want to (on average) drink the following:

• For healthy adults (at rest and not in a hot environment) :
  8 oz of water per hour (~80 oz of water/day)
• If engaging in exercise (use the Galpin Equation):
  Body weight (in lbs) / 30 = oz of water to consume every 15-20 mins exercise
  Body weight (in Kg) x 2 = mL of water to consume every 15-20 mins exercise
• If you are in hot temperatures or sweating:
  Increase the Galpin Equation guidelines by an additional 50-100%
• For every 20-30 mins in the sauna – consume an extra 8-16 ox of fluid
• For every 8 oz of caffeinated drink – consume 16 oz water with electrolytes or sea salt
  

Note that you can drink less water from the 10th hour awake to bedtime. This will minimize nighttime waking’s to urinate. Also, absorption of water into the body is strongly tied to the circadian rhythms of the body and less is needed going into the evening hours.

Sipping water slows the absorption and generally minimizes bathroom trips. So if you tend to gulp your water, try instead to sip throughout the day if possible.

Is plain tap water ok?

The simple answer is NO. Even “good” tap water contains many contaminants including ²endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and disinfection byproducts (DBPs). It also generally contains high levels of fluoride (which has a sorted past) and can impact your thyroid function³! If you want to know what’s in your tap water, go to the EWG Tap Water Database and enter your zip code. You will be shocked at what is allowed in your water. This page also shows you what type of filtration will remove each type of contaminant.

The good news is that there are water filters in all budgets that can remove a large percentage of these contaminants. Here are some of my favorite options:

• Budget (from $25): Pitcher https://zerowater.com/collections/water-filter-pitchers-dispensers
• Mid-Range (from $81): Pitcher https://clearlyfiltered.com/collections/shop-all
• High (from $220): iSpring under sink RO System https://a.co/d/6cXSQCt

Why minerals matter

Minerals (i.e. electrolytes) are required to allow proper absorption into the cells. This is done via diffusion where water moves from areas of higher concentrations to those with lower concentrations to create equilibrium. Electrolytes help regulate this diffusion process and our pH balance, they also serve as cofactors for enzyme activity in the body and carry electrical currents throughout the body. Wow, they are pretty darn important! Adding minerals back is a key component to supporting your hydration and your overall health. And, even more important if drinking RO or distilled water as minerals are stripped out of them in these filtration processes.

I just did a post on Instagram this week about my favorite ways to add minerals to the body. Two of my favorite is the add one of the following to my water:

• Redmond Real Salt (a pinch in each 16 oz glass of water).
  Alternatively – just throw 1/4-1/2 tsp in your mouth and drink 8+oz water 2xs/day. This is good for folks (like me) who dont like the taste of salt in your water.
• Concentrace – Trace Mineral Drops (add a dropper to each 16-24 oz water)

3 Steps to Mastering your Hydration

• First, you want to follow the guidelines above for water consumption.
  Start with the baseline and adjust according to your personal needs based on activity level, environment, etc.
• Add electrolytes/minerals to your water! This is such an important piece of the puzzle.
• Get a water filter that fits your budget and avoid tap water as much as possible.

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

If you still don’t know where to begin, reach out! We can figure this out together!
Click HERE to book a free Discovery Call Today!

1. Optimize Your Water Quality and Intake for Health, Huberman Lab ↩︎
2. Endocrine Disruptors in Water and Their Effects on the Reproductive System (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) ↩︎
3. Impact of Drinking Water Fluoride on Human Thyroid Hormones: A Case- Control Study (Scientific Reports)
   ↩︎