The Journey is the Reward.: Dehydration

I have a couple of friends (who shall remain nameless) who I believe suffers from chronic dehydration. This is very serious.... especially in long distance runners. This post is for all those people who aren't hydrating enough (coffee, beer and soda don't count!).

"Dehydration is the biggest cause of injury"
Dr Alex Ratelle- Anaesthesiologist and word ranked masters runner

The article below was taken from the www.symptomsofdehydration.com website.

The Causes of Dehydration

There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expell toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly. For a more complete list causes, visit the Wikipedia link in the dehydration information section.

The Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it's total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):

If the dehydration is allowed to continue unabated, when the total fluid loss reaches 5% the following effects of dehydration are normally experienced:

Increased heart rate
Increased respiration
Decreased sweating
Decreased urination
Increased body temperature
Extreme fatigue
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Nausea
Tingling of the limbs

When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! 10% fluid loss and above is often fatal! Symptoms of severe dehydration include: