The feelings of nausea, light-headedness, or dizziness while exercising and especially on a hot day will lead to loss of body fluids; therefore, such feelings will cause dehydration. Dehydration is a depletion of body water and according to our weeks reading material, dehydration is an excessive loss of water resulting from a depletion of body fluids. Within this essay, I will be discussing water and its essentials to health maintenance, the functions of water in the body, and the effects of the body when it does not get the adequate amount of water it needs. In addition, I will also be comparing and contrasting how different electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) function within the body, the effects that alcohol and caffeine have on hydration levels within the body, and the steps in which people can take to ensure they do not become dehydrated.

Why Is Water Important

Dehydration occurs when our body does not receive the recommended amount of water it needs to maintain an even flow throughout the body. Water is essential to health maintenance because, according to our weeks reading material, water is an essential nutrient that accounts for about 60 percent of adult body weight. In addition to water being an essential to health maintenance, the water flow or the flow of water within our body in which is used in and around major organs to maintain our bodies functioning, contributes to the flow of blood, and the functioning of the GI tract, which is vital for digestion. As well as to the flow of blood and the functioning of the GI Tract, other necessities in which water contributes, supports the functioning within the eyes, joints and spinal cord. Therefore, when we loose water we must replace the body water in which we loose while sweating, urinating, defecating, and from evaporation in order to restore our bodies natural water resources.

The Functions of Water

The functions that water provides to the body are transportation, protection, lubrication, and temperature regulation in the body according to our weeks reading materials (Axia 2009).

As the table to the left displays, there are various functioning of water, which are: transportation, protection, lubrication, and temperature regulation that is essential to the maintenance of our bodies. The water in which is, found within our bodies transports cells, food, blood, oxygen and nutrients, in addition, water return waste products to the lungs and kidneys for excretions. The water in which is, found within our bodies also protects our cells, eyes (protection from dirt and shock), joints (synovial fluid which resist compression), and mouths (protection from choking), along with the fetuses within pregnant women (protects the unborn child (fetus) while within the womb). The water in which is, found within our bodies also lubricates our eyes, joints, and mouth as does the functioning of protection of water within our body the eyes are lubricated when tears are produced, the joints are lubricated by the synovial fluid, and the mouth is lubricate by saliva. The water in which is, found within our bodies also generate temperature regulation; which is essential for the increasing or decreasing the amounts of heat lost at the surface of the body in addition, temperature regulation also occurs when the body evaporates sweat; therefore, the water functions in chemical reactions and helps regulate body temperature.

When the Body does not have Enough Water

Water cannot be stored within the body and it is continuously lost mostly through evaporation and urinary losses therefore, a steady supply of water is, needed in order to prevent dehydration. The need to consume water is, signaled by the sensation of thirst in which causes dryness of the mouth as well as signals from the brain according to our weeks reading materials (Axia 2009). When the body does not produce enough water to maintain its health maintenance the body becomes weak, restless, and therefore, dehydration occurs. Early symptoms of dehydration include thirst, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, dry eyes and mouth, and dark-colored urine. Further loss affects thinking ability and physical performance. Later symptoms include nausea, difficulty concentrating, confusion, and disorientation (Axia 2009). According to our weeks reading materials, when water losses are great enough to reduce blood volume, the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and remove waste products is affected (Axia 2009).

Compare and contrast how different electrolytes function within the body

Electrolytes Substances that separate in water to form positively and negatively charged ions that conduct an electrical current. In nutrition, this term refers to sodium, potassium, and chloride (Axia 2009). Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride), also helps to regulate fluid balances and are important for maintaining acid-base balance throughout the body. Comparing and contrasting by examining their major functions, deficiency symptoms, the groups at risk of deficiency, along with the toxicity and UL within the different electrolytes: sodium, potassium, and chloride, are within the table below.

In comparing and contrasting the factors of the above table, along with the information within our weeks reading materials; both sodium and chloride food sources are from table salt and processed foods; however, their deficiency symptoms are different, for sodium the deficiency symptoms are muscle cramps and are unlikely for chloride. Nevertheless, within sodium and potassium their toxicity and UL are both related to the heart…high blood pressure and abnormal heartbeat to be, measured respectively. In addition, the major functions of the three electrolytes are very similar as well as differ in variation. The electrolytes are similar because of their major functioning fluid balances and are differ in their positive and negative extracellular and intercellular ions. Also in respective of comparison, sodium and potassium deficiency symptoms are both muscle cramps as both their major functioning are nerve transmissions and muscle contractions, while chloride’s deficiency symptoms are unlikely and the major functioning are in which, relates to the other electrolytes are fluid balances.

The Effects of Alcohol and Caffeine on Hydration Levels within the Body

Excessive alcohol and caffeinated beverages will cause a person consuming such drinks to urinate more; therefore meaning increasing of fluids leaving the body, which in turn leads to dehydration along with kidney failures.

The Steps, Which People Can Take To Ensure they do not, Become Dehydrated

The steps in which people can take to ensure that they do not become dehydrated is to drink plenty of vitamin packed water, or regular tap water. In addition, a person must remember to drink water before they exercise, during exercising, and after exercising to replace the body water in which was lost during sweating and evaporation from exercising.

References

Axia College University of Phoenix, week five reading materials chapter nine “Water and Minerals” Retrieved July 11, 2009 from SCI 241 The Science of Nutrition.