We've heard our whole life that our bodies are made of at least 80% H20. Water is essential for all process that occur in our body especially processing and removing waste and proper cell function. When of the greatest signs of dehydration is a headache or racing heart. The headache occurs from the membrane surrounding your brain shrinking almost like a drying sponge which causes pulling on nerves creating pain. This membrane dehydration occurs because your major organs like your heart and liver draws water away from your brain.
Our diets are also very important to consider in terms of keeping us hydrated. Avoiding dehydrating foods and beverages is crucial to our end of goal of staying hydrated. Acidic foods and beverages cause our bodies to lose water through the process of eliminating the acidic particles. Our bodies want to be alkaline rather than acidic. Alkaline waters are high in minerals like iron, potassium, boron, magnesium and chromium. Click for a List of Basic Minerals and Functional Purpose
Too many minerals in our system can make us sick. These minerals in a concentrated solution creates a high alkaline/ high salinity mixture which can become toxic to us. This occurs when we don't provide ourselves enough water. Simply depriving ourselves of water during normal body use causes our bodies to use the water we have while leaving behind the minerals and salt.
Sweating and high body output creates a different scenario. When we sweat we lose both precious fluids AND minerals (which is why our sweat is salty, those are all the minerals our bodies need, and some toxins, in a high saline mixture called sweat). Sweating calls for replenishment of water AND minerals.
I highly recommend using Pedialyte to replenish after a heavy sweaty ride. Pedialyte will help supplement not only the liquid your body needs (like oil to an engine) but also the minerals your body lost during the sweating process. You need to be careful though. If you are dehydrated from lack of fluid intake and not because of exercise or strenuous body use Pedialyte could possibly exacerbate your dehydrated system. This could possibly occur due to the fact that your mineral to water ratio in your body is off leaving more salty minerals in your body than there is liquid needed which would dilute the solution. The introduction of pedialyte to your body WITHOUT water first would only increase your mineral levels in your body creating an even more toxic/saline state within your body.
To avoid these dehydration scenarios there is a few things you can do to help your body prepare and recover from vigorous riding or work out.
1) Avoid acidic foods. CLICK HERE for a complete list or acidic foods. Alkaline foods are better!
2) Avoid acidic beverages like soda and coffee. Some beverages are also diuretic effects (things that make you pee) Alcohol creates an enzyme that tells your pituitary gland to stop producing a hormone that makes you retain water. That is why you pee so much when you drink. IT MAKES YOU PEE. I forget what the actual number is but its something pretty extreme. 1 Shot of booz can cause you to loose about 7 oz of your bodies water. So basically every time you drink you pee out what you drank and a good portion of your bodies water due to alcohols effect on the pituitary gland and it being a diuretic.
3) You only absorb approx. 8oz of water an hour. That being said chugging a bunch of water doesn't make you hydrated. Constantly putting water in your body to make it available to your body FOR absorption does! Drink small sips over a long period of time for the most efficient way to rehydrate yourself.
STAY HYDRATED!!!
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