by Maria Esposito

Usually about two and a half litres of water is needed each day for a reasonably sedentary adult to replace the total water loss that occurs through skin, lungs, faeces and urine, unless they are in an unusual environment.

Just under half of this should be in the form of drinks such as water or cold herbal teas and just under a litre from food. The remaining 300ml is created by the body from its own metabolic processes.

If you don’t drink enough water, this is what happens.

1. The pulse rate goes up and there is an increase in the rectal temperature

2. Respiration increases

3. Numbness and tingling are experienced in the extremities

4. Increase in blood concentration

5. Reduced blood volume and more difficult circulation of the blood

The difficulty and inadequacy of the circulation of blood under these conditions leads to:

1. breathing problems

2. gastro-intestinal upsets

3. nauseousness and loss of appetite

4. if it carries on for an extended period it will cause problems with muscle movement and unstable emotions

In an animal study, where water was restricted the animals were highly irritable and in some cases bad tempered.

Thirst

It has been demonstrated that under intense physical activity a male will only drink voluntarily around 50% as much water as what is required to replace losses from urine and sweat. Only after rest and food do the cravings for the required amount of water return to replace the fluid deficit.

Hot Drinks

Ingestion of hot drinks may cause internal body temperature to rise, which will result in sweating in order to cool the body down. Hot drinks are sometimes used in medical practice when it is desired either to temporarily increase body temperature of induce sweating. Therefore cold or cool drinks are preferred to hot drinks to replace fluid during the day, especially if the hot drinks are the only fluid daily intake.

Sugary drinks

During physical activities lasting less than 90 minutes, water is generally the beverage of choice, however, the inclusion of small concentrations of carbohydrate (6%-8% carbohydrate) have been shown to better sustain power output over water alone during physical activities that produce fatigue in 60 minutes or longer.

About the Author:
For a fuller version of this article please go to the alternative medicine website. Maria is a london nutritionist who specialises in the treatment of allergies. She has worked in the complementary medical field for over a decade.