The Importance of Hydration
One of the questions I have often received is “What can I do right now to improve my health?” The resounding answer I give is adequate hydration. So many people are chronically dehydrated and cannot live in their optimal health. Ensuring you are properly hydrated is the easiest thing you can do to impact your health significantly.
I will often ask my patients, especially if I know water intake may not be something they successfully implement consistently, is “How has your water intake been lately?” When I ask this question, it is usually because muscles feel tight and stiff. Water is approximately 76% of your total muscle mass (Lorenzo et al., 2019). When we are chronically dehydrated, our muscles lose intracellular volume. Muscle cell volume is directly associated with muscle strength. This is likely when an individual feels tired or weak if they are not adequately hydrated. Elderly patients are most susceptible to this low-grade chronic dehydration, potentially exacerbating frailty.
Additionally, water is critical for metabolic processes in the body. Our body’s energy production processes require water to function optimally. Without too much deductive reasoning, one can see how being chronically dehydrated may impact energy levels and may aid in chronic fatigue.
So, now what? How does one know how much water to get? What type of water should they be drinking? How does one safely improve their water intake?
A “textbook ideal” intake is generally accepted at being ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day. So, if an individual weighs 150 pounds, their minimum water intake should be seventy-five ounces daily. This number will fluctuate slightly based on your activity levels, if you are outside in a warmer environment, even a colder environment increases your body’s demand for water, caffeine intake will also increase the amount you should be drinking daily, and any medications you may be taking.
My usual recommendation is to gradually increase your water intake, rather than a sharp increase. For instance, if a person is drinking 50 ounces of water per day (about 6 cups) but their ideal water intake is 100 ounces per day, I would not recommend doubling their intake overnight. A gradual increase helps acclimate your body to the increased water intake. So for this person, I would recommend increasing to about 7 cups of water (about 60 ounces) per day for the first week. Then 8 cups of water (about 70 ounces) for the second week and so on until they reach their ideal intake. In this case, this would take roughly a month to accomplish. There may still be a slight increase in bathroom usage, but this is a temporary response as your body tries to balance your water and electrolytes. More to come on electrolytes in future posts!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Grant Shelton, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic at Peace of Health Chiropractic Wellness Clinic
1) Lorenzo, I., Serra-Prat, M., & Yébenes, J. C. (2019). The Role of Water Homeostasis in Muscle Function and Frailty: A Review. Nutrients, 11(8), 1857. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081857
