The Importance Of Water

The very building block of life is a lot more essential than you might think. The idea of only drinking water when we are thirsty is what most believe to be correct hydration. Since our bodies are around 60% water, water loss occurs through breathing, sweating, digestion and many other necessary processes. Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can even reduce the risk of breast cancer. In athletes, dehydration can have detrimental effects on their performance and recovery. Studies have sown that even a dehydration of about 2.5% of one's total body weight can result in a performance decrease of about 45% in a high-intensity exercise that results in quick exhaustion. So Imagine your squatting 300lbs at good hydration one day and the next your dehydrated by 2.5%, but you're still trying to reach that PR weight. To put this in perspective now instead of squatting 300lbs you will be squatting 165lbs...yes that's a huge drop. Slight Dehydration can also have plummeting effects to your VO2 max resulting in somewhat impaired endurance. Water has an important role in recovery as well as it flushes out harmful toxins and excess acid from muscles in the body post-exertion phase. It also aids in cellular repair, so the damage done to our muscles during the workout will heal faster leaving the athlete less sore. In conclusion, If there is anything you take away from the importance of water, it should be that with proper hydration you will lead a more productive and healthy life overall.