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The Wonders of Water

Did y6uknoW that most people can sur-viv~n~ ;'6re th.an 7 days without water(Williams 2005)?Because of its numerousand diverse functions in the body, water isoften regarded asthe most important nu-trient. Althoughthere is rigorous proof ofits~Sin~tits,sci~ntists still have trouble ob-jectively advising people how much theyneed to drink daily to maintain favorablehealth. Len Kravitz, PhD, program coor-dinator of exercise science and researcherat the University of New Mexico atAlbuquerque, plunges in for a look at thismysterious nutrient called H20.

Water 101Water is intricately involved in numerousfunctions of the body, including the trans-port of oxygen,nutrients and waste prod-ucts into and out of the cells. Drinkingwater contains several electrolytes (sub-stances in solution that conduct an elec-tric current), including calcium, chloride,fluoride, magnesium, potassium andsodium. Water is necessary for all diges-tion and absorption functions, and it lu-bricates mucous membranes in thegastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.

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Water is the medium for most chemi-cal reactions in the body, especially thosemetabolic reactions involved in energyproduction. The body uses water as acoolant, helping to regulate body temper-ature during exercise,when fever is pres-ent and in hot environments. Water alsoservesas a cushioning component betweenjoints, in the spinal cord and in the brain.

Water andSpecial PopulationsAtdifferenttimes in your life,youmay needto pay special attention to water intake.

Older Adults. With age, thirst becomesa less effectiveindicator of the body's fluidneeds, so older adults who rely solely onthirst signals increase their risk of becom-ing dehydrated. Seniors who relocate toplaceswhere the weather iswarmer or dryerare also more susceptible to dehydration.

Pregnant or Breast-Feeding Women.Expectant mothers and those who arebreast-feeding need additional fluids dailyto stay hydrated. Women at risk of gain-ing too much weight are encouraged toconsume more water (no calories) andlimit their consumption of sweetenedfluids (with calories).

Water and ExerciseIn an hour of light exercise in a cool ormoderate environment, the s;'all amountof water you sweat out is easy to quicklyreplace. However, endurance exercise isdifferent. The American College of SportsMedicine (ACSM) recently released itsnewest Position Stand on exerciseand fluid

'i, e Igs!i!ute'of fvjMioine (IOMrp~bcj. lishechitsDietary Heferenee Intake for.t'w~teri8FehHjary 2004. The committeeexplai~stDat drinkingfluias reRr

~iabo~~81910~ttotal water i8!ake;!. 19%0 tel"r.being··PJOvidedbyfoolSo,the . rnendatiorTtoractual:-6i~ta~eis ..Iitersfo~;niell agd2.2 .. -~"litersf3rwolTlen.Sinpe.J.li1e~~ 33.8fluid Qu,Q.c.es'T~nareadviseqJodring .,101.4.fluig.e~n.ces,or .13 cups.(acupjs:lfluidouncesjof.drillking. .

water and other..beveragesperday,·&an;d~~men ar~ advised.tOdri.8kZfluido.ullces; or scups, pe~day.

replacement in an effort to guide exerciserstoward safe and enjoyable participationin endurance exercise (Sawka et al. 2007).The stand says that each person will havedifferent and variable water losses, so oneblanket recommendation is not possible.However,it discussesthe importance of hy-drating before, during and after exercise.•

ReferencesInstitute of Medicine. 2004. Executive Summary, Dietary

Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium,Chloride, and Sulfate. National Academy of Sciences,Food and Nutrition Board. Washington, DC: NationalAcademy Press.

Sawka, M.N., et a1. 2007. American College of SportsMedicine Position Stand: Exercise and fluid replace-ment. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39,377-90.

Williams, M.H. 2005. Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport(7th ed.). Boston: McGraw· Hill Higher Education.

This handout is a service of IDEA, the leading international membership association in the health and fitness industry, www.ideafit.com.© 2009 by IDEA Fitness Journal. Reprint permission is granted to IDEA members by the copyright owner, IDEA Health & Fitness Inc., (800) 999-4332.

May 2009 IDEA Fitness Journal 87