A couple of weeks ago my Mom asked me if I could write a blog about how important drinking water is to the health of the body. Sorry Mom, I did drag my feet a little bit, but here you go!

As I was thinking about how to approach the subject, I started to recall a time about eight years ago when I was training for the chance to make the U.S. Olympic team; at the time I kept a rigorous training schedule. Running on the track five days a week and doing weight training four days a week. I had to consume lots of calories and drink tons of water to keep myself energized and recovered for the next work out.  Being properly hydrated became very vital to my training. I remember once, after several days of training in 90 degree weather sweating and not replenishing the fluid loss; I had a crazy abdominal cramping episode. This is what happened: At the end of the 150 meter run, I bent over with exhaustion. After about 60 seconds rest, I started making my way back to my coach and I felt a little dizzy so I kneeled down to pull myself together. However this time I was seeing stars, and all of a sudden my abs cramped up like crazy. Next thing I can remember is being curled up in the fetal position on the track rolling around in pain like a 3rd grade boy that was just punched in the stomach by a bully named Dehydration.…. From that point on, I had a better appreciation of the importance of staying hydrated.

Water is one of the most precious resources we have on the planet. In fact about 60% of the body’s weight is made up from water. When we break down the water the content in the body, we find that our brains are made up of 74% water, the blood in our body’s have 83% water, our muscles hold 75% water, and our bones contain 22% water. Water has been known to rejuvenate, replenish, and energize the body. From my own personal experience I can say that being properly hydrated makes a difference in how I feel. What I have noticed is that when I drink enough water daily, I am more energized throughout the day. I’m more focused, my skin doesn’t feel dry and when I working out, I recover faster and perform better.

Dehydration can cause serious health issues. Being just 1%-2% dehydrated can disrupt normal physical and mental functions. Being 15% dehydrated can be deadly, without water a person can only survive a few days. Water is a key factor in organ function, and transporting nutrients to cells. Water is crucial in eliminating toxins from the body. It is essential for perspiration, urination and bowel movements and is critical for many other functions of the body.

My suggestion is to drink more water daily and to be sure to replenish the fluid lost during exercise. You can calculate how much water your body needs daily on this

Website: www.nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm