Curtis Bovee

Health Columnist

Hydration is arguably one of the easiest ways to help maintain your physical and mental health.

Inadequate water consumption can impair cognitive function, impairing concentration, alertness, and short-term memory. According to the European Hydration Institute (EHI), the brain represents only 2 percent of total body weight. However, it utilizes greater than 20 percent of total blood circulation. When you are dehydrated, blood volume decreases. Consequently, the amount of oxygen and vital nutrients that are sent to your brain can also decrease, impairing brain function.

Hydration can be a critical determinant of physical performance. The effects of dehydration are exacerbated by physical activity, especially in hot environments, longer exercise duration, and greater exercise intensity. In vigorous activity in hot environments, some athletes are capable of sweating at rates greater than 100 ounces per hour, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Adequate water consumption during exercise helps prevent the reductions in blood volume, muscle blood flow, skin blood flow, the rise in core temperature that accompanies dehydration.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is recommended that adults drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. To calculate how much water you need, divide your body weight in half and use this number in ounces as the amount of water you should consume.

Dehydration also impairs school performance by causing headaches, dizziness, poor concentration and reduced cognitive abilities, according to the CDC.

If these consequences aren’t enough to persuade you to drink adequate amounts of water, lethargy is a common effect of dehydration. Lethargy, or exhaustion, often leads to inactive lifestyles, which is a main cause of obesity.

Dehydration initiates a domino-effect of problems throughout your body. Why not drink a few more glasses of water each day to prevent this?