The Importance of Hydration

1. The Importance of Hydration

2. Overview • Why is it so important to stay hydrated? • How does my body lose water? • How do I know if I’m dehydrated? • What should I drink? • Top Ten Facts About Hydration • Water or Cola? • Energy Drinks • Conclusion

3. Why is it so important to stay hydrated? • Your body depends on water for survival. Did you know that water makes up more than half of your body weight?

4. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to function correctly. For example, your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste and lubricate joints. Water is essential for good health.

5. How does my body lose water? You lose water each day when you go to the bathroom, sweat, and even when you breathe.

6. You lose water even faster when the weather is really hot, when you exercise, or if you have a fever. Vomiting and diarrhea can also lead to rapid fluid loss. If you don’t replace the water you lose, you can become dehydrated.

7. How do I know if I’m dehydrated? Symptoms of dehydration include: • Little or no urine, or urine that is darker than usual • Dry mouth • Sleepiness or fatigue • Extreme thirst • Headache • Confusion • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded • No tears when crying

8. Don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to act. It can be hard to recognize when you’re dehydrated, especially as you age. Actively prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water.

9. What should I drink? Some beverages are better than others at preventing dehydration. Water is all you need if you are planning to be active for only an hour or less.

10. If you plan to be exercising longer than an hour or so, or if you anticipate being out in the sun for more than a few hours, you may want to hydrate with some kind of sports drink. These replace not only fluid, but also chemicals like sodium and potassium, which are lost through perspiration.

11. Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and colas, are not recommended for optimal hydration. These fluids tend to pull water from the body and promote dehydration.

12. Fruit juice and fruit drinks may have too many carbohydrates, too little sodium, and may upset the stomach. If you're going to drink fruit juices while exercising, you may try diluting them with water first.

13. Top Ten Facts About Hydration 1. Water composes 75-percent of all muscle tissue and 25-percent of fatty tissue.

14. 2. In one hour of exercise, the body can lose more than a quart of water.

15. 3. Dehydration leads to muscle fatigue, cramping, and loss of coordination.

16. 4. A dehydrated body is unable to cool itself, leading to heat exhaustion and possibly heat stroke.

17. 5. It is important to drink more than thirst demands and to continue to drink throughout the day.

18. 6. It is important to drink even before signs of thirst appear. Thirst is a signal that your body is already on the way to dehydration.

19. 7. To prevent dehydration, you must drink before, during, and after physical activity. • Drink one to two cups of fluid at least one hour before the start of activity. • Drink eight ounces of fluid 20 to 30 minutes prior to activity. • Drink four to eight ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes or so during activity. • Drink an additional eight ounces of fluid within 30 minutes after activity. • Drink two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost after activity.

20. 8. Both caffeine and alcohol can have a diuretic effect, be sure to compensate for this additional water loss.

21. 9. Other water sources include fruits, juices, soups, and vegetables.

22. 10. To check your hydration level, check the color of your urine. The color should be light to clear. If you are taking supplements, the color may darken for several hours.

23. At the risk of offending cola lovers everywhere - WATER OR COLA? This is an eye opening question.... water or cola? We all know that water is important but consider the following:

24. WATER • 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. • In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. • Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. • One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study. • Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. • Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. • A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page. • Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

25. COLA • In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of cola in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. • You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of cola and it will be gone in two days. • To clean a toilet: Pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl and let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in cola removes stains from vitreous China. • To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in cola. • To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. • To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes. • To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for sumptuous brown gravy. • To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of cola into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The cola will help loosen grease stains. • It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

26. FYI • The active ingredient in cola is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. • To carry cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials. • The distributors of cola have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years! Now, the question is, would you like a cola or a glass of water?

27. Energy Drinks Commercial products are marketed directly towards young people today as beneficial. Energy drinks do not all contain the same ingredients and they are not regulated.

28. It's difficult to make risk generalizations about different types of energy drinks without knowing the specific ingredients and the concentration in each product. In addition, not only do we have to know how much of a ingredient is in each drink but how often are you drinking it and what are some possible pre-existing medical conditions that may be affected or aggravated within the person drinking it.

29. Most of these energy drinks contain various amounts of caffeine and sugar. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend that adolescents or children consume these products.

30. Some of the known adverse effects of caffeine are: • Angina • Arrhythmia (ventricular) • Chest Pain • Flushing • Palpitation • Sinus Tachycardia • Tachycardia (supraventricular) • Vasodilation • Agitation • Delirium • Dizziness • Hallucinations • Headache • Insomnia • Irritability • Psychosis • Restlessness • Urticaria • Esophageal sphincter tone decreased • Gastritis • Fasciculations • Intraocular pressure increased (>180 mg caffeine) • Miosis • Diuresis

31. When drinking energy drinks, it may be true that you will feel a burst of energy for a short period of time however, it is at the expense of increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and blood sugar. BUT… Then the crash. You are left feeling more tired/run-down than before. The long term health effects on the body have not been studied, but it is reasonable to conclude that these products are like any other stimulant.

32. Conclusion It is important to understand that the human body has a basic need for hydration, specifically water consumption. Although there are various products available that seem to quench thirst, they may not be providing for the body’s fundamental needs. Work load demands on the body require additional fluids and rest may be required to allow the body to catch up with consumption. Just because there isn’t thirst, doesn’t mean that the body is properly hydrated. Balance work with appropriate rest periods. Make rest mandatory and ensure that the appropriate fluids are available for those you are responsible for, including yourself.

33. Please go into eServices to Online Safety Education for Computer Base Training on this subject and to test your knowledge. Thanks for your support of safety and for your service to CAP.