Body of Water | Diet and Exercise | Real Life Fitness | PhitZone

Photo: Reiner Schubert CC-By-2.0

Water makes up about 60% of our body weight. Were you aware that bone is more than 20% water, muscle is 75% water, and teeth are about 10% water? Water is the number one nutrient. What does water do for us? Water transports nutrients throughout the body, carries waste away from the blood and body tissues, moistens eyes, mouth, and nose, water hydrates the skin, ensures adequate blood volume, forms main components of body fluids, participates in many chemical reactions, helps maintain normal body temperature, acts as a lubricant around joints, and serves as a shock absorber inside the spinal cord and in the amniotic sac surrounding a fetus.

Did you know a water loss equal to 2% of body weight can reduce muscular work capacity by 20-30%? if you were to weigh yourself before and after exercise, the difference is all water. One pound equals roughly 2 cups of fluid.

This brings us to our next point……. how much water do you need to stay healthy? There are many theories and thoughts on this very question. The answer is all what you think fits your lifestyle best. Which answer pertains to you. The famous answer is to drink 8 – 8 ounces of water a day, so 64 ounces total a day. One theory is you take your body weight, divide it in half, and that is the number of ounces you need to drink a day. Say you are 150 pounds, that means you need to drink 75 ounces of water a day. This then brings the question of does it have to be water, or can I drink kool aid, tea, coffee, and pop as part of my water intake? This again is all dependent on how you feel. If you drink a 12 ounce can of pop, you have to keep in mind the sodium content. High sodium intake and low water intake can lead to dehydration. My personal preference is to count your water intake as the amount of water you drink, not counting coffee, pop, tea and sports drinks.

The first sign of not getting enough water in your diet is thirst. Use this as your guide, and use your best judgment. Nobody knows your body and your body’s needs better than yourself.