8.3.3

Hydration

Test yourself

Hydration

Water makes up most of the human body (about 70%) and helps with chemical reactions in the body, such as lubrication (body processes running smoothly) and thermoregulation (maintaining body temperature). Therefore, it’s vital that we stay hydrated. The factors affecting hydration are:

Illustrative background for EnvironmentIllustrative background for Environment ?? "content

Environment

  • Depending on where we are, the amount of water we need can change.
    • E.g. in a desert we will need to drink more water to help keep us cool.
Illustrative background for TemperatureIllustrative background for Temperature ?? "content

Temperature

  • The hotter we are, the more we will sweat and the more water we will lose. We need to drink more water to replace the water lost in sweat.
Illustrative background for ExerciseIllustrative background for Exercise ?? "content

Exercise

  • If we exercise, we are more likely to lose water (by sweating), which we will need to replace.

Dehydration

If we do not keep the water balance in our body, we can become dehydrated (lose too much water). Dehydration can lead to:

Illustrative background for Thickening of the blood Illustrative background for Thickening of the blood  ?? "content

Thickening of the blood

  • This means that water is lost from the blood, so the blood becomes thicker.
  • This reduces blood flow.
Illustrative background for Increased heart rateIllustrative background for Increased heart rate ?? "content

Increased heart rate

  • Thicker blood means the heart has to work harder and beat more to maintain the blood supply to the body.
  • This can cause an irregular heartbeat.
Illustrative background for Longer reaction timeIllustrative background for Longer reaction time ?? "content

Longer reaction time

  • This means that it takes longer to respond to a stimulus.
  • Increased reaction time can result in a decrease in performance.
Illustrative background for FatigueIllustrative background for Fatigue ?? "content

Fatigue

  • Muscles can cramp and fatigue will happen more quickly because of water loss.
  • This is because waste products cannot be removed as quickly as usual.
Illustrative background for Increased body temperatureIllustrative background for Increased body temperature ?? "content

Increased body temperature

  • The body can also begin to overheat as there is less water to cool the body down

Jump to other topics

1Applied Anatomy & Physiology

2Movement Analysis

3Physical Training

4The Principles of Training

5Using Data

6Sports Psychology

7Socio-cultural Influences

8Health & Fitness

Go student ad image

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

  • Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

  • Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

  • 30+ school subjects covered

Book a free trial lesson