The 4 Biggest Dangers Of Dehydration During Exercise
Dehydration simply means your body doesn’t have enough water. Considering your body is roughly 60% water and it is present in every cell, being low on water is a serious issue. You should note that water helps carry nutrients into cells and toxins out.
If you become dehydrated this process will slow, which leads to a variety of issues.
Of course, while any water is beneficial, you should be aware that water that has been processed with a reverse osmosis filter won’t contain chemical contaminants that could negatively affect your body.
- Confusion
As your water levels drop your cells won’t get the nutrition they need and toxins won’t be removed efficiently. This will result in the cells behaving sluggishly, and struggling to do what they are supposed to.
The brain is affected in the same way as other cells. When they don’t work properly you are likely to feel confused and even dizzy. This will affect your ability to do everyday tasks or concentrate on a single task for any period.
- Tiredness
Because your cells aren’t working effectively you are unlikely to be creating the energy your body needs. The result is fatigue. Tiredness affects everyone at times, but tiredness due to dehydration is much more severe. You’re likely to lack the energy to get up and do anything.
If exercising is what is causing you to become tired then there is a high probability that you’ll feel exhausted. This will prevent you from taking part in social gatherings and can have a detrimental effect on your confidence, especially if you are frequently dehydrated.
- Heat Injuries
This is a particular concern if you are exercising and not drinking enough water at the same time. The lack of water can cause muscles to cramp, this can be mild or serious. In extreme cases, the heat injury can appear as heatstroke, which is life-threatening.
- Seizures
Water helps electrolytes move around your body. These are small electrical charges that are carried in water as it is highly conductive. The electrolytes move electrical signals between cells, encouraging them to perform the necessary actions.
Unfortunately, when you’re dehydrated the electrolytes can no longer move freely around your body. It results in unbalanced electrolytes which causes muscle contractions. These are uncontrollable, painful, and, in extreme cases, can even cause you to lose consciousness.
The most common sign that you’re dehydrated is dark coloured urine. The darker it is the more dehydrated you are and the quicker you need to start drinking high-quality water. Of course, you are also likely to feel thirsty as your body tells you what it needs.
It is worth noting that, in extreme cases, dehydration can lead to hypovolemic shock. The lack of water reduces the amount of blood in your body, this causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a connected drop in oxygen levels in your blood.
The result is many of your cells and organs are deprived of the oxygen they need. It can cause organs to shut down and be life-threatening.
To avoid this, drink plenty of water every day.
