“A buddy might point out you're dragging behind or seem clumsier, ask if you’re okay, and remind you to drink something.” “It's usually somebody else who notices something about you before you notice it yourself,” he said. Having a battle buddy is important, he added. This is important, because “long-term consequences of dehydration can include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, even kidney failure, and on the extreme end of the spectrum, seizures, and ultimately death,” said Scott. “Darker and more concentrated urine suggests dehydration,” she said. (Graphic by Human Performance Resources by CHAMP)Ī good way to check your hydration level is through your urine.Īlthough Scott warned there are foods - such as beets and certain dietary supplement ingredients - that can alter the color of your urine, typically, your urine should be straw-colored (light) and clear when you’re well hydrated, said Eslinger. Karla Eslinger, an environmental health officer at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in California.Īlthough certain foods can alter the color of your urine, typically, when you’re properly hydrated, your urine should be light colored and clear. “Dehydration is a common issue among our military population,” said Navy Lt. That, Scott said, depends on a variety of factors, including how long you’ve been feeling thirsty, environmental factors, etc. ![]() However, thirst doesn’t let you know how dehydrated you may be. And while you can also take in too much water, dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in, he said. That means the amount of fluid you take in versus that which you lose are not in proportion, upsetting your body’s fluid balance. “Feeling thirsty is an indication that there is a fluid imbalance within the body,” added Scott. Once you become dehydrated, you may start to feel lightheaded, dizzy, disoriented, fatigued or irritable. Losing as little as 2% of your body weight through sweating, urinating, and breathing can affect your mental and physical performance. As a result, it also “helps to dissolve vitamins and minerals and nutrients to make them more accessible to your body,” said Scott. ![]() Water comprises about 60% of our body weight. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells in our body, lubricates joints, helps keep the kidneys and liver functioning properly by flushing out waste products.” “It protects our body organs and tissues. “It plays many critical roles in the body, including regulating our body temperature, moistening tissues in the eyes, the nose, the mouth,” said Scott. “Water is essential for survival,” said Jonathan Scott, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of military and emergency medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, Maryland. Whether you’re conducting operations, working out, or simply spending a lot of time outdoors in high-heat, extreme cold, high-altitude, dry, or humid climates, keeping hydrated is paramount to optimal performance. That’s true – but thirst is only one way your body lets you know you’re low on H2O. You may have heard that dehydration can occur before you feel thirsty. ![]() Total Force Fitness | Nutritional Fitness
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