Back to Basics – Why Do We Hydrate?

Water, water, everywhere. It seems to be the New Year’s resolution du jour – drink more water, at least two litres a day. It’s probably the easiest one to stick to, and the cheapest, yet it tends to fall by the wayside and we make do with just a couple of glasses in between our hot drinks.

So, we thought we’d take things old school, and write up a little reminder of why our bodies actually need water. I mean, we all understand that we can’t survive without it. No points for that, sorry. But did you know that when we enter the world, our little newborn bodies are 80% water?

Here we go then. Five reasons why water really is king. Once you’ve read these, do head over to our shop and treat yourself to a snazzy new bottle to guzzle from.

1. When you’re really thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Your body is crying out for H2O, and as soon as you take a gulp, you feel instantly better. But it’s way too soon for your body to have distributed the water to your cells: that’s not instantaneous. What’s actually happening is that your brain is filling in the gaps and triggering an anticipatory feeling of a quenched thirst. If you kept drinking all the while your cells were rehydrating, you’d risk flooding the system and doing yourself some harm.

2. The human brain is 70% water. When you’re dehydrated, your brain literally shrinks – this can lead to short-term memory damage, reduced fine motor skills, and a feeling of not really being present. Thankfully, these are all temporary, just so long as you rehydrate. The key is to not get to the point where you feel thirsty, as by that point you’re already down on your body’s water content by over 1%.

3. Scientific studies have shown that staying hydrated is a natural mood booster, relieving and reducing feelings of malaise. Your body simply doesn’t function properly when you’ve not been drinking enough of the good stuff, which manifests in your mood. Those suffering from depression or mood disorders should stay topped up throughout the day.

4. All of our joints are cushioned by little balloons of fluid, called synovial fluid. It lubricates the cartilage that protects the hinges that keep us moving…tick follows tock follows tick and so on. Water helps the formation of this fluid - think of it as topping up an already dripping sponge. It also helps to inhibit the build-up of acidic crystals in the joints, which can cause pain and soreness.

5. Without plenty of water on board, your digestive system struggles to convert carbohydrate into energy and instead starts to store it as fat. Your body can’t effectively deliver amino acids to your muscle tissue, either. You need your muscles to be in tip top condition for your workouts, and do you really want your rye bread sarnie to add on the pounds rather than transfer into gym mojo?