Hydration and How It Affects Your Performance

Make Sure You Get Enough Water With a Water Intake Tracker

No matter what physical activity you’re performing, hydration is the key to performing well. According to a study published by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, when your body water decreases from its normal level, your body experiences changes in its central nervous, metabolic, thermoregulatory, and cardiovascular function. The state of your body water decreasing from normal levels is known as dehydration. The more fluids you lose, the worse your performance impairment becomes.

If you exercise — especially in the heat — make sure you take in enough water. Even if you’re not focused on exercising, make sure you stay hydrated. Staying hydrated will help your digestion, increase your focus, and help you lose weight. Since water allows your muscles to perform at their best, use a water intake tracker to make sure you stay at your top performance levels.

How Hydration Affects Performance

If you don’t get enough water, you’re likely seriously limiting your performance potential. Sticking to your hydration goals with a water tracker will help you remember to drink water when you need it so that you can perform at your best. Below are a few ways that hydration affects your performance:

• Hydration enhances your motor neurons. Your muscles move only when they receive commands from your brain. These commands move through neural pathways, which depend on adequate hydration to function at their best. When exercising, you need your motor neurons at their top potential — otherwise your speed and strength can decrease. Dehydration occurs when your body doesn’t have as much water as it needs to function.
• Your body needs fluids to transport energy nutrients. Without fluid, your body can’t move essential macronutrients, which would be your fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. You use these macronutrients for energy, and if your muscles don’t get enough of them, your muscles will fatigue. Your body also needs fluids to remove the metabolic waste created when you’re exercising intensely. This is why the best app for tracking macros is one that also allows you to track your water intake.
• Hydration helps regulate your body temperature. Your body is put under stress when its core temperature rises above normal. This stress interferes with the energy systems your body uses, which has negative effects on performance and recovery.
• Hydration helps you burn more fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re likely engaging in some longer-duration and lower-intensity workouts to burn fat. Fat is a primary source of fuel in these activities. However, if your cells aren’t adequately hydrated, your body won’t oxidize fat as efficiently.
• You need fluid to regulate your blood pressure. When your body successfully regulates your blood pressure, your heart rate stabilizes, enabling you to help manage the stress placed on your body when you’re training and recovering afterward. Too much stress, however, can lead to inflammation and interfere with performance and recovery.

If you want to perform at your best, you need to stay hydrated. A water drinking app will help keep you on track as you perform all your daily activities.