s e m o n i a n

When a coach calls a time-out during a game, it’s usually to refocus the team on the task at hand. While he has his players’ attention during this short break, the coach will muster up a few points to emphasize. Having stood in many of these huddles, I’ve seen plenty of sweaty, vacant stares looking back at me. The longer the game goes, the more vacant the stares. Most coaches assume their players are too physically tired to think or that they are simply cracking under the pressure. Who would have thought it could be lack of water that kept them unfocused?

As was mentioned in a previous blog entry, the brain is 80% water. Water is necessary for the electrical transmissions from the nervous system to travel throughout the body. It is this system, which includes the brain, that makes us acting, learning, sensing, thinking beings. Think of water being the river that brings neural information throughout the brain and body. Are your rivers roaring rapids, or dried-up, slow-moving streams? A person should drink one quart of water per 100 pounds per day. If you are under stress (if you are in NYC this is an automatic YES) then you should DOUBLE this recommended water intake. Stress is a huge drain on the body’s hydration!

Other things that can affect our hydration levels are coffee, tea, caffeinated soda and alcohol. These are all diuretics and inhibit reabsorption of water in the kidneys. Just a 2% drop in the body’s water level can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, low energy, grogginess, and trouble with processing information. Water is essential for improving brain health and enhancing lifelong learning. Put down those Wheaties and put away the Gatorade: For a boost in performance on the playing field or in the boardroom, grab your water bottle and drink up.

Enjoy Your Exercise. Enjoy Your Day.