H: Hydration
"Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day”, “Make sure you’re drinking fluids!”, “Stay hydrated!”
Sound familiar? These are pieces of advice we often get from friends, trainers, and instagram influencers..but WHY is water and staying adequately hydrated a secret weapon?! Let’s highlight three - of the many - of the physiological chores water is in charge of leading:
[1] Transport necessary nutrients throughout the body
🚲Blood plasma is made up of 90% water and it flows to every single organ in our body.
These organs need cell-food, hormones, proteins, enzymes, and nutrients! Therefore, because this plasma is made mostly of water, consuming ample amounts of water ensures our blood is flowing in steady quantities to all organs (legs, heart, brain, etc.). Since this water-dominant blood plasma is also how things get flushed OUT of the organs, drinking sufficient amounts of water also helps extract wastes (carbon dioxide and remnants from broken tissues & cells that no longer have purpose) from our precious organs to the kidneys - where they are flushed out! (source).
Diagram source: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
[2] Regulate body temperature 🌡️
Water is good at storing heat.
When the body is too cold or too hot, whether due to the external environment or a mental state like fear, the brain senses this imbalance or discomfort and immediately sends messages to the blood in those affected areas to do one of two things: (1) release heat (if body is too hot) OR (2) store heat (if body is too cold) (source). For example: during exercise, the body gets extremely hot; the main way the body maintains a balanced body temp is by sweating - where water leaves the body, bringing heat with it! We must always remember to replace these water losses to perform our best (source).
[3] Joint & Gut Lubricant 🛢️
Two specific places that water lubricates are: joints & the gut.
Water lubricates joints so they aren’t creating so much friction, which reduces joint destruction and improves physical coordination.
Also, the mucus lining on the walls of the gut and intestines is made of 95% water (source)! This mucus lining eases the movement of food along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, preventing severe physical discomfort when digesting food.
Diagram source: B. Schroeder via Semantic Scholar
Easy hacks to drinking more water
Staying hydrated can: ensure your organs get the food they need, can control how hot or cold you are, and can help prevent both joint pain and digestive discomfort. Easy hacks to integrate more water consumption into your day are drinking hot tea, tossing a WaterDrop to add some flavor, adding a straw to your canteen making it easier to sip, or setting a timer on your phone every hour to take a few swigs.
