STAYING HYDRATED

It's HOT. And where I am in NE Ohio, humid too. When it's hot like this you have to keep up with your hydration to support cognitive function and physical performance. So how much water should we be drinking?

There are several rules of thumb for baseline water consumption, but no hard and fast numbers. There are just too many variables: the weather, your age, body size/type, exertion level, overall health, etc.

Here are some of the rules of thumb for baseline water intake:
1. Divide your body weight by 2, and drink that many ounces of water per day. For example, a person weighing 160 lbs would drink 80 oz of water per day. This takes into consideration body size.
2. Drink 8 oz of water per hour for the first 10 waking hours of each day.(1)
3. 1.8 L/24h.(2)

These are all baseline recommendations, and don't take into consideration any of the variables mentioned above. If you are exerting yourself in the heat, stay ahead of your hydration needs. If you're not sure of your hydration status, look at:
1. Thirst. This is a no-brainer.
2. Urine color. Darker urine means your kidneys are conserving water and concentrating your urine.
3. Physical symptoms like headache, muscle cramps, or fatigue, indicate a more urgent need for hydration. When perspiring more than usual, replace the salt lost in sweat by salting your food.
4. Severe symptoms including lightheadedness or fainting, confusion or other mental status changes indicate the need for emergency medical attention.

Best advice is to establish your baseline water consumption and monitor your urine color. By staying ahead of your hydration needs you not only prevent the potentially severe effects of dehydration, you ensure your body has the fluid it needs to function optimally.

1. Andrew Huberman https://lnkd.in/ghZQKc62
2.https://https://lnkd.in/gTAh6JNP