Don’t let dehydration fool you! Despite extensive studies and lots of widely-available information, there are a number of ill-advised myths floating around about dehydration. This blog debunks these common dehydration-related myths with some hard facts.
MYTH: Dehydration is rare - “I don’t get dehydrated often”
FACT: Up to 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration! Typically, three out of four people are dehydrated. Dehydration is far more common than you’d think.
MYTH: You can’t get dehydrated in cold weather.
FACT: The loss of water and electrolytes via sweat leads to dehydration. Regardless of how low the temperature is, you’re still sweating. In fact, if you’re out carving snow or enjoying some winter fun, it’s actually easier to get dehydrated due to the higher altitude. On top of that, it can be easy to miss signs of dehydration at those extreme elevations.
MYTH: Dehydration is rare - “I don’t get dehydrated often”
FACT: Up to 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration! Typically, three out of four people are dehydrated. Dehydration is far more common than you’d think.
MYTH: You can’t get dehydrated in cold weather.
FACT: The loss of water and electrolytes via sweat leads to dehydration. Regardless of how low the temperature is, you’re still sweating. In fact, if you’re out carving snow or enjoying some winter fun, it’s actually easier to get dehydrated due to the higher altitude. On top of that, it can be easy to miss signs of dehydration at those extreme elevations.
MYTH: Dehydration only affects athletes.
FACT: Believe it or not, simple daily activities like breathing and walking cause the body to release water. For all the adventure seekers, be aware that even the easiest of hikes can cause you to sweat. Are you a world traveler? Pounding pavement through airports, museums, landmarks and local hotspots will require your body to rehydrate too. Dehydration doesn’t discriminate.
MYTH: Dehydration only affects athletes.
FACT: Believe it or not, simple daily activities like breathing and walking cause the body to release water. For all the adventure seekers, be aware that even the easiest of hikes can cause you to sweat. Are you a world traveler? Pounding pavement through airports, museums, landmarks and local hotspots will require your body to rehydrate too. Dehydration doesn’t discriminate.
MYTH: The key to hydration is fluid intake. You just need to chug water.
FACT: While having an extra glass of water is rarely discouraged, there is another crucial component to hydration that’s missing. Fluid uptake! This hydration fact is often overlooked. Water needs a helping hand from electrolytes, the friends of effective absorption when it comes to hydration. Electrolytes like glucose and sodium are key players when it comes to uptake.
MYTH: Thirst is the only symptom of dehydration.
FACT: Thirst is an indicator of dehydration, but dizziness and fatigue are just a few other common signs and symptoms that partner with feeling parched when dehydrated.
MYTH: Dehydration only affects your body.
FACT: Dehydration not only affects your body, but also your mind. Mental focus, memory, mood and reaction time are all impacted. To perform your best physically and mentally, you’ll need to stay hydrated.
MYTH: Dehydration is not a big deal. It’s not dangerous!
FACT: Severe dehydration can lead to extreme complications and life-threatening emergencies. These include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, kidney failure, urinary tract infections, seizures, and hypovolemic shock.
MYTH: Everyone should consume 8 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration.
FACT: Everybody and every body are different. Your weight, activity level, and environment all have an impact on your hydration needs. The commonly recommended 8 glasses per day serves solely as a baseline, but hydration needs vary by person.
MYTH: Dehydration is not a big deal. It’s not dangerous!
FACT: Severe dehydration can lead to extreme complications and life-threatening emergencies. These include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, kidney failure, urinary tract infections, seizures, and hypovolemic shock.
MYTH: Everyone should consume 8 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration.
FACT: Everybody and every body is different. Your weight, activity level, and environment all have an impact on your hydration needs. The commonly recommended 8 glasses per day serves solely as a baseline, but hydration needs vary by person.
MYTH: Dark urine always indicates dehydration.
FACT: As a general rule of thumb, paying attention to the color and smell of your urine is a safe way to monitor dehydration. That said, you also need to be aware of what you’re ingesting before you go crazy over urine color. Foods like asparagus, blackberries, and beets impact the color of your urine, regardless of hydration levels.
MYTH: You can never have too much water.
FACT: Too much water too quickly can lead to hyponatremia, also known as water intoxication. While the condition is extremely rare, it can be fatal due swelling cells and dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood. In high heat and heavy sweat situations, where hyponatremia is more likely to rear its ugly head, an electrolyte-laden beverage such as Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier can give you the hydration uptake and intake you need, without the risk of water intoxication.