Hydration, also in winter

At any time of the year it is important hydrate adequately. Although it is in summer when we remember and want to drink more, and we need more, it does not mean that now we should neglect our water intake.

It is very important to maintain a good state of hydration and we must remember that it is essential for a correct cognitive performance, essential in any case and especially in exam time.

• Water is essential for the body, it intervenes in multiple vital processes and its lack causes a decrease in physical and mental performance.
• Athletes, students, children and the elderly are people in whom special attention must be paid to their hydration.
• We will obtain hydration through water, infusions, broths, smoothies ... and foods rich in water such as vegetables, fruits, etc.

Functions of water and consequences of dehydration

Water is a fundamental element in our body, is part of our structures and an infinity of metabolic processes. It is involved in respiration, digestion, thermoregulation, etc. In addition, its deficit affects both physical and mental performance. Short- and long-term memory, motor coordination, reaction time, and perceptual discrimination can be affected by dehydration, reduce alertness levels and ability to concentrate, and can cause headaches.

Fundamental in athletes and students

Dehydration leads to a decrease in physical and mental capacities, so special attention must be paid to hydration of people such as:

• Athletes: especially if the sport is carried out in a hot and dry climate and especially if it involves long-term practices. The water needs will be much higher and a slight dehydration will have an effect on the result if it is a competition, but there is also the risk of significant dehydration with fatal consequences.
• Students: in this case, the water requirements do not have to be increased, but dehydration can play tricks on academic performance, both in class and during the dreaded exam periods. Memory is very sensitive to stress, but also to insufficient hydration. Dehydration can affect perception, association, categorization, and visualization abilities. Even a dehydration Mild errors can lead to poor recall, speed of recognition, retention of digit strings, reasoning and vocabulary.

Water balance

Water losses

We are dehydrating little by little but constantly through breathing and skin perspiration. In addition to this, the processes of urination and defecation are of course the current way by which we eliminate the greatest amount of water from the body. However, we must take into account special situations such as episodes of diarrhea or vomiting that will significantly increase water losses. Our water needs will also increase in case of fever, if we are in a very hot and / or very dry environment, etc.

So in terms of water losses we must consider:

• Urine and feces.
• Respiration and skin perspiration.
• Pathological situations: diarrhea, vomiting, fever.
• Very hot and / or very dry environment.

We hydrate

The main hydration pathways are very clear since we receive water through the intake of drinks and food. We also receive a small amount of water from metabolic processes. Thus, we obtain water thanks to:

• Drinks: water, herbal teas, smoothies, juices, teas and coffees, soft drinks, etc.
• Food: Fruits and vegetables are the foods richest in water, although we also obtain water from boiled meat, fish, legumes and cereals, etc.
• Metabolic processes: in the metabolization of macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) we obtain about 300mL.

Special situations (children and the elderly)

The kids have a higher percentage of water in their body, their physical activity is usually important and although in principle the feeling of thirst would have to make them go to drink water when they need it, they can be "busier" playing or doing other activities so we should not Neglecting her, offering water from time to time. In the case of seniors the thirst reflex may have been lost over the years and not feel the need to drink despite already suffering from dehydration, if we add to this compromised states of health we must pay special attention to their good hydration, especially in summer or if they are very warm.

Daily requirements

It is advisable to drink between 2 and 3 liters of fluids daily.. Needs vary between people depending on age, sex, physical activity, the environment in which we move (mainly temperature and humidity), etc. But in general terms we can consider that women need about 2.7 liters of water per day, of which 2.2 liters should come from drinks and men about 3.7 liters, about 3 liters would have to come from drinks.

Ideas to stay well hydrated

Water should always be the fundamental way to hydrate ourselves but it is also advisable that those who have difficulty drinking enough to alternate drinks since in this way we end up drinking more liquids more easily. We must rule out soft drinks and alcoholic beverages as a source of hydration. It is advisable to drink water, infusions, water with a few drops of lemon, fruit or vegetable smoothies, vegetable broths, etc., and in case of normal or low weight we can drink milk, milk and fruit shakes, natural fruit juices, slushies fruit, chocolate drinks, etc.