DRINK ALL YOU WANT...
AND MORE!
Research shows endurance 1s
directly related to fluid Intake
When you think of running, a picture probably
comes to mind of a person Duffing along a trail
or track. A trickle of sweat is rolling down
the runner's face.
Sweat is the first source of body fluid loss
that most people think of. And they are right,
1t is an imoortant source of lost body fluids.
The averaae oerson, on an average day, loses two
cuds of water through perspiration. That's with
out exercise. On too of those two cups, an av
erage oerson loses eight more cups of water
through other body functions.
Human kidneys are one of the best recyclers
we know of. On an average day, kidneys filter
through 40,000 cups of blood, with only five
and-a-half cuos of water lost 1n the form of
uri ne.
L>ca luca urine onu ^cr a^iifluun, uric u*Juy
breathes out two more cups of water and loses a
half cup 1n the stools.
Studies have shovm that a significant loss
of body fluids can affect performance. So how
do Deople get those ten glasses of water back
Into their systems? Three glasses of water get
back Into an average person's body through regu
lar dally meals. The body gains another one-and
a-half cups as food is metabolized. That leaves
f1ve-and-a-half cups of water for the average
person to take 1n, during an average, cool day.
One study performed at Harvard University
looked at how the Intake of water affected an
athlete's endurance. A group of athletes were
asked to run on a treadmill for as long as they
could, without drinking any water. They were
allowed frequent breaks during their running,
but after three and half hours, most of the ath
letes’ body temperatures had gone uo to 102 de
grees. They were exhausted and couldn't go any
more.
The next week, the athletes ran on the tread
mill again. They still were allowed some rest
periods, but this time they could drink as much
water as they wanted. With a replacement of
body fluids, most of the athletes nearly doubled
their running time. It was nearly six hours be
fore their temperatures reached 102 degrees and
they couldn't 90 on.
TO FUEL OR FOOL YOUR BOOY:
THAT IS THE OUESTION!
What good is an automobile that does not run?
Washing and waxing keep it looking good, but
GASOLINE, OIL, FLUIDS AND WATER make it run.
Tune-uos and check-uos keep it running. Think
about yourself as a more complex and valuable
machine. Your good looks won't get you going in
the morning. Your tank is emoty and you need to
fuel up after your overnight fast. Running too
often on emoty will eventually affect your ap
Dearance, your energy output, and your overall
health down the road.
YOU NEED A CHECK LIST
YOUR CAR FOR GOOD
MILEAGE, BEST PER
FORMANCE:
_Proper fuel
_011 and water pressure
_Fluid check
_Tire check
Battery check
^1-ube and grease
FOR YOURSELF TOO.
YOURSELF FOR GOOD
HEALTH, LONGER LIFE:
_Good nutrition
_Normal blood pressure
_Adequate fluid intake
_Proper weight for sex
and height
_Enough rest
Exercise
“WELL NOW..." Newsletter
Published Monthly
June 1982
Editor: Cynthia Kane
Student Health Center
Universtly of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
1-503-686-4441
A third test was performed on the same tread
mill, with the same athletes. This time, they
were made to drink as much water as they lost
through sweatlna. It turned out they needed
half again as much as they were motivated to
drink by thirst alone. The results of this body
fluid replacement were amazing. After seven
hours, they still hadn't reached a body tempera
ture of 101 degrees. Most of them said they
felt thev could go on nearly forever.
This study points out the importance of ad
equate fluid intake for athletes aiming at en
durance. The key to adequate fluids is the way
they help the kidneys do their job of filtering
out body poisons. If Deople only drink the a
mount of fluids they think thev need for their
thirst, they may not be oroviding enouqh for
their kidneys to do a good job. Less than opti
mum performance will be the result. As one
physiologist put it, "Kidneys do better If you
don't trv to do a sink full of dishes in a cup
of water.“
Reprinted with permission from "Pulse Beat", a
publication of McKenzIe-WUlamette Memorial
Hospital. (May 1982)