Water and Athletes

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Water is one of the most important nutrients an athlete can consume. Almost 60% of total body weight is water. It helps to maintain body temperature, improve digestion, and helps with circulation and excretion of wastes. Sweating is how the body regulates its temperature. If an athlete doesn't drink enough water, they aren't able to sweat adequately and their body temperature will rise. This can negatively impact their physical performance and cause dehydration. Even a very small amount of dehydration can impact their athletic performance. And thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. It can happen before an athlete even becomes thirsty.

The body will pull water from its reserves when it's deprived of fluids to maintain a safe body temperature. If the body is chronically low on water, a variety of hormonal changes can occur. Caffeine, alcohol and diuretics can all drain the body of water, and extra water should be taken to avoid an imbalance.

The small intestine can absorb water at a rate of 8-10 ounces about every 20 minutes. Drinking cold water is better because it will enter the small intestine faster. Take small sips before, during, and after your workout. Make sure not to drink large amounts all at once. Space it out.

The only way for an athlete to prevent dehydration is to make sure they are properly hydrated before, during, and after training. Customize your water intake to the sport you will be training in. Make sure you have water readily available during training and make sure you drink enough water before and after training. Know what your sweat rate is. It can be different for different people. Know how much fluid you will need to replace. A good rule of thumb is to drink about 20 ounces of water for every pound of weight lost because of sweating.

If you think that water is just too plain and boring, then try a good sports drink with your favorite flavor. The most important thing is to make sure you replace fluids and avoid dehydration. If you have to have the flavoring to make sure you drink more water, then whatever works for you is best to ensure you don't suffer dehydration.

If you have signs of dehydration, like weakness, headache, thirst, dizziness or chills, not only is your athletic performance going to suffer, but you are putting yourself in danger of a heat related problem. It's better to avoid that in the first place by making sure you are drinking enough water to stave it off in the first place.

Julie Austin is the inventor of swiggies, the wrist water bottle, for kids and adults. They were a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are sold around the world. http://www.swiggies.com/

Do I Need a Water Microfilter or Purifier?

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A water microfilter is a device used by many hikers, long-term backpackers, international travelers, and campers to safely and conveniently purify water from natural sources. These water microfilters purify the water by passing it through a small filter to remove sediment, chemicals, and microorganisms, leaving you with clean and safe water to drink. In this article, I'll run through the basics of water microfilters and help you determine if you need a water filter.

A water microfilter has three main parts: an input hose, the main body, and an output hose or attachment. The input hose is placed in the source (rushing river, calm stream, lake, puddle, etc.); it typically has a prefilter attached to it to prevent large pieces of sediment or biomass from entering the body of the filter.

When you pump with the handle, water is forced through the input hose and into the body of the water microfilter. In the body, there is a glass-fiber or ceramic filter, with pore sizes of about 0.2 to 0.4 microns in diameter. These microscopic pores prevent bacteria (such as E. coli) and protozoa (such as Giardia) from contaminating your water supply and making you sick.

Once it passes through a ceramic or glass filter, it usually passes through an activated charcoal filter to remove chemicals that may be in the source. This has the added benefit of taking out foul odors and tastes, leaving you with clean, great tasting water. Finally, the water passes through the output hose or attachment into your water bottle or reservoir.

If you are thinking of going hiking or traveling without a water filter or purifier, you might want to think twice. Even the swiftest moving water can have microorganisms in the water. So while it may taste fine, it could leave you with a nasty bout of sickness. Further, a water source may be contaminated one day and safe the next; this is because animal waste is one of the leading causes of contamination and it is impossible to know what happened upstream.

If you drink contaminated water, you may get sick for a day or a week. This is because some microorganisms found in the water attack the small intestine - this will leave you having constant diarrhea to flush it out (not a pretty picture). You will lose nutrients and become dehydrated quickly, which could be a life threatening situation if you are hiking or traveling alone.

So before you ask "do I need a water filter?", you should ask yourself "can I afford to get sick?" A water microfilter is an excellent investment for hikers, campers, and travelers and highly recommended.

Water Microfilters is a site that reviews water purifiers for hiking, backpacking, camping, and travel. We encourage you to visit for more information and water microfilter reviews.