Water is essential to the proper functioning of the body as it is one of the main components of the human body.
On average, it represents 65% of the body.
The most water-rich organs are the brain 🧠 and the heart 🫀.
❓What is it used for?❓
1️⃣ Essential constituent of cells
2️⃣ Participates in many chemical reactions
3️⃣ Participates in the elimination of metabolic waste
4️⃣ Participates in the transit of dissolved substances essential to the cells
5️⃣ Participates in maintaining a constant body temperature
❓How is it eliminated❓
Water is eliminated both :
- Urinary 🚽
- Through the stool 💩
- By sweating 💦
- By respiration 😮💨
Sweating is even more important in summer, when it is very hot and when you are physically active.
❓How much water should be consumed per day❓
It is important to remember that the human body cannot store water.
It is therefore essential to have a water intake every day.
It is often recommended to consume 2.5L of water per day: 1L from food and 1.5L from drink.
Obviously, as we have seen, this figure increases if you are physically active during the day and if it is hot.
❗️It's all about balance❗️
In order to have a good water balance ⚖️ and therefore to stay healthy, intake must compensate for loss. The more water you lose, the more you need to consume to compensate for these heavy losses.
❗️Hydration during physical activity❗️
- Consume 1 to 3L of water/hour depending on the intensity of the effort and the temperature
- Drink 1 to 2 glasses of water (≈ 200 mL) every 20 minutes
Problems caused by dehydration 🥵 :
- Appear when water loss is equal to 2% of body weight (decreased performance, increased risk of tendonitis...)
- When water loss exceeds 4% of body weight: ⚠️ WARNING, serious health problems may appear
Sweating 💧
-> Loss of water
-> Loss of minerals
To compensate for this, there are "isotonic" drinks that provide carbohydrates and minerals.
References :
- Le Centre d'Information sur l'Eau. (2017). Combien d'eau faut-il boire chaque jour ?. En ligne https://www.cieau.com/leau-et-votre-sante/eau-hydratation-et-hygiene/hydratation/combien-deau-faut-il-boire chaquejour/#:~:text=Il%20est%20donc%20important%20de,boisson%20de%201%2C5%20litre., consulté le 31 juillet 2022.
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. (2001). L'eau dans l'organisme. En ligne https://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/doseau/decouv/usages/eauOrga.html#:~:text=L'eau%20est%20le%20principal,humain%20d%C3%A9pend%20de%20plusieurs%20facteurs., consulté le 31 juillet 2022.
- Institut de Recherche du Bien-être de la Médecine et du Sport Santé. (2022). Comment adapter son hydratation à l’effort ?. En ligne https://www.irbms.com/hydratation-effort/, consulté le 31 juillet 2022.
- Vidal. (2019). Les besoins en eau pendant l'effort. En ligne https://www.vidal.fr/sante/nutrition/equilibre-alimentaire-sportif/besoins-eau-sportifs.html#:~:text=Les%20risques%20li%C3%A9s%20%C3%A0%20la,eau%20pendant%20l'effort%20sportif&text=Une%20perte%20en%20eau%20%C3%A9quivalente,tendinites%20(inflammations%20des%20tendons)., consulté le 31 juillet 2022.
- Ooreka. (2020). Boisson isotonique. En ligne https://alimentation.ooreka.fr/astuce/voir/717157/boisson-isotonique, consulté le 31 juillet 2022.