Water In Your Body

I talk a lot about hydration on this blog. I thought it would be a good idea to talk about everything water does for us in our body, besides just cooling us off through sweat. Proper hydration is important to perform best at your sport, but it does so much more! Water helps control our internal body temperature through sweating. Athletes know all about that! 

It is the water in our blood that carries nutrients (glucose, oxygen, and fats) to the muscles and also removes the by-products from metabolism. The waste products are rid from our body through urine. Darker urine means that the waste is more concentrated. Being properly hydrated will reduce the stress on the kidneys and liver, whose job it is to remove waste from the body. Water also lubricates our joints and provides cushion to our organs. Drinking enough water will also help prevent constipation. 

So as you can see, water has many roles in our body. As an athlete, you are at a greater risk for dehydration due to the amount of sweat you lose. This post serves as another friendly reminder of the importance of drinking enough water throughout the day!

References:
Mayo Clinic
Clark N. Sports Nutrition Guidebook. 4th ed. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics; 2008.