As fall nears and the summer months come swiftly to a close, we should continue to remember that properly hydrating one's body remains very important. A variety of problems can arise if one enters a dehydrated state. Nausea, muscle cramping, headache, weakness, dizziness, and a decrease in energy level are common symptoms of dehydration. If dehydration becomes severe, symptoms such as a decrease in urine output, dry and pale skin, breathing difficulty, and a decrease in blood pressure can occur. There are many ways to hydrate one's body, water being the best source. Water does many things for the body such as: hydrating the muscles, therefore getting rid of toxins that may build up during exercise, helping the body produce the liquids that it needs to lubricate the joints, helping in the removal of fat, and aiding in body temperature regulation, just to name a few. A woman's body is made up of 45 - 50% water, while a man's body is made up of 55 - 60% water. From these above examples, one can easily understand why water is such a key element in human body function. Humans could last no longer than one week without water.
The amount of water an individual needs is dependent upon bodyweight, lifestyle, age, sex, and climate. Fluid requirements are usually greater for the very young, very old, males, if one resides in a very hot climate or a very cold climate, how much one perspires during exercise, and persons that take certain medications that act as a diuretic. Beverages containing caffeine and alcohol should be avoided because they act as diuretics that take water out of the body. Water and electrolyte replacement drinks are the best types of beverages to drink for proper hydration. Fruit juices and sodas should also try to be avoided when hydration is an issue because they both can cause gastrointestinal upset when large quantities are consumed, and neither one is rapidly absorbed by the body.