Website Made With ❤️ From Blue Aspen Marketing
10100 W. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Suite 1300 Peoria, AZ 85382
They say water is a key component for proper functioning of the whole body. Most of us probably remember our school days and learning about our body being made up of almost 60% water. That is why our team of experts at Desert Edge Physical Therapy want to remind you of just how much water is beneficial to your health.
Our brain and heart are composed of 73% water, lungs are at approximately 83% while our skin contains 64% of water. If you actually dive deeper into it, even our bones have some water inside of them – almost ⅓ or 31% of the bone structure is composed of water. The topic of our discussion today is muscles which are made of approximately 20% water, and joints which are made up of almost 80% water. We are going to take a look at how dehydration/hydration affects them as well as your whole body.
“So, is drinking fluids a way to get through a life painlessly?”
The most simple answer to this question is – yes. But why? The first sign of a healthy body is a hydrated one. It is a path to improved health. Drinking water every day should be one of your main priorities from sun up to sundown. Experts, on average, recommend drinking 11 cups of water per day for women and 16 for men. That number changes depending on the season and specific conditions, as Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends drinking a cup of water every 20 minutes if you’re working outside in the heat. Your height and weight also play into how much water you should be drinking each day.
“Don’t drink it all at once, take it slowly or you might feel some discomfort”
Just looking at the earlier scientific facts, we get a clear outlook on how much actually water benefits, not just our muscles and joints, but the whole body. We can say with certainty that water is a necessary compound of our lives. Drinking too much of it though, according to the Mayo Clinic, can lead to hyponatremia which is a rare condition where kidneys actually cannot get rid of all the excess water and subsequently, it leads to low sodium levels in the blood that cause muscle spasm or cramps and headaches.
Simply said, being hydrated means you have enough bodily fluids to operate properly; and a properly operated body is the one that’s made to withstand all of the difficulties. Not getting enough fluids can affect your hard tissue like bones and joints. Humans lose body fluids when they exercise, go to the bathroom, sweat, and even breath so, it’s essential to drink plenty of fluids, whether that fluid is water, tea, soda, etc. Replenishing those fluids serves a range of purposes in our bodies, such as removing waste through urine; controlling body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, and maintaining a healthy metabolism.
Simply put, proper hydration helps reduce joint inflammation by removing toxins, reduces the likelihood of gout attacks, provides nutrients to the joints, develops healthy cartilaginous tissues, and reduces the severity of diseases such as arthritis.
Loss of joint lubrication – One of the main issues your body is facing when dehydrated is the loss of joint lubrication which prevents friction between the bones and enables a smooth and painless movement.
A hydrated body helps your cartilage tissue while running or jumping – Dehydrated body also reduces shock absorption because water makes up more than 70% of the cartilage tissue that acts as a shock absorber during many activities.
Functional decline and joint degeneration – can be caused by dehydration, so can increased muscle cramping which is a leading contributor to joint pain.
Remember, your joints might not be immediately affected by hydration so your body might still be in pain but effectively, the only way to keeping your joints healthy and painless is to keep your body happily and readily hydrated.
Lubricated joints lead to healthy muscle movement – As it was with the joints, the muscles also depend on you being hydrated. The muscles cannot contract properly if your body is dehydrated because they need to stay lubricated to function properly. Dry muscles can leave you feeling fatigued and can severely impact your performance, whether it’s a regular everyday performance or athletic performance.
Helps with muscle recovery – Sore muscles are known to most of us. You don’t even have to go to the gym to feel the muscle soreness, it can occur with any physical activity. Staying hydrated while in recovery mode is useful for getting rid of that painful feeling of soreness. In simple terms, being dehydrated can make your recovery feel way worse!
Can increase endurance and pain tolerance – when drinking less water than recommended, your cognitive capabilities may go down, and subsequently, your endurance and pain tolerance will decrease. The most effective way to targeting these issues is drinking enough water.
Muscles require certain levels of electrolytes to function optimally – Your muscles need to stay hydrated to stay energized which subsequently leads to your body being more alert and prepared for heavy tasks.
The first sign that your body is dehydrated is called acute dehydration. Below is the list of the physical signs you can easily spot if this happens to you:
Acute dehydration can reduce your muscle performance before the thirst is even felt. Thirst inside your body will be triggered once a certain percentage of your body weight is lost.
Prolonged dehydration is a different one. It can be a bit more worrisome. This condition might be recurring because your body is starting to adapt to fewer fluids being consumed and will not respond as well as it might respond while under acute dehydration. Due to the effects of dehydration, your body functions and cognitive performance might decrease. Eventually, all of this leads to your body being more prone to injuries and poses a risk to your overall health.
If you spot some of the signs below, immediately call or go to the emergency room because you might be suffering from a severe case of dehydration which is potentially a life-threatening situation:
You’re already dehydrated if you’re thirsty – MYTH – It is a great natural reminder for your body to hydrate but there can be a wide variety of causes for the thirstiness – from spicy food, health problems like diabetes, or a side effect of a medication you’re taking.
The color of your urine can suggest your hydration levels – FACT – This may not be pleasant for some people but checking the color of your urine can indicate your hydration level. You can even Google a “urine color chart” that’ll help you navigate how hydrated you are.
When you’re dehydrated, drinking as much water as possible is the cure – MYTH – It is again a situational thing. There are several different types of dehydration, ranging from a light one to a life-threatening one so the intake of the fluids is different for each one. In some extreme cases, drinking electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, or magnesium can benefit your dehydrated state.
You don’t need to replenish your electrolytes after a moderate workout – FACT – A lot of US citizens these days tend to take in some sort of energy drink, such as Gatorade after their workout. Experts say that if you’re not a hardcore athlete and your workouts are not vigorous, a bottle of water will do just fine.
Remind yourself to stay hydrated! Set goals and challenge yourself to become a more hydrated person!
If you’re experiencing joint and muscle pain, feel free to contact us at Desert King Physical Therapy. Our dedicated team is here to tune the engine which is your body, so you can walk freely without worries. Don’t just go through your life with that excruciating pain you’re carrying around, get rid of it with our help!
We are at your service ready to help you alleviate all of your problems. Call 623-334-8767 or leave your contact and we’ll call you as soon as possible!
10100 W. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Suite 1300 Peoria, AZ 85382