WELLNESS AUTHOR
Austin Womack
HYDRATION, ACCORDING TO A FIRST RESPONDERS EXPERT n Check out these tips on how to
stay hydrated this summer from local first responder expert and trainer, Austin Womack.
B
eing a firefighter can be an extremely stressful job. Our brave first responders need to be able to perform at their peak under very physically demanding circumstances. Therefore, a key performance indicator is hydration level. As an exercise physiologist with the Austin Fire Department, I spend a lot of time training first responders, so I know a thing or two about how to stay hydrated, even in some of the hottest conditions. Hydration is critical for both muscle and organ function, and recent studies show that cognitive performance can be diminished even with just a body water loss of 1 to 2%. Additionally, other research and literature suggest that an excess loss of 5% of one’s body weight can decrease someone’s work capacity by approximately 30%.
concentration levels, the body is hydrated. When these concentration levels become unequal, dehydration occurs. An example of this is if you go on a long run when it’s hot outside so you sweat a ton. You chug 2 to 3 liters of water to try to replenish your fluids, but the problem is when you sweat, you lose water and electrolytes. By replenishing with just water, you only increased the level of water in the body but not electrolytes. This is actually a very common example of dehydration. It can be frustrating when you experience signs of dehydration even though you’ve been diligent about consuming water. Don’t forget, hydration is about both water AND electrolyte levels in the body. Real quick, let’s talk about electrolytes. Electrolytes are ions (molecules with a charge), and the major ones are sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate. Because ions have a charge, they attract water. Remember that where electrolytes go, water follows. This is why it is important to have an adequate amount of electrolytes in your system. The key to staying hydrated is to ensure that you are consuming adequate amounts of water and electrolytes before, during and after physical activity, not just when you’ve been sweating or exercising for a while. Make sure you are consuming enough salt in your diet on
What happens when you get dehydrated? It is important to understand that dehydration occurs in the body at the cellular level. The main elements of hydration, water and electrolytes can be found in three places in the body: inside cells, outside cells and within the bloodstream. The body naturally creates a fluid balance between all three locations through homeostasis, and when all three have equal
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