Hydration is Important. But why?

“Hydration is important.” It’s something we’ve all heard many times. But what does that actually mean?

The amount of water in your body affects so many different things: blood pressure, muscle cramping, and even joint pain, to name a few. 

• Blood pressure: Your blood is made up of ~80% water. Without enough water, your blood pressure has the potential to plummet or spike. Too little water means less blood running through your body (low blood pressure). In response, your body sends signals to your blood vessels to tighten up (high blood pressure). 

• Muscle cramping: Muscles need many things in order to work properly, including lubrication, oxygen, and electrolytes. Water (or rather, the water in your blood) delivers all of these things to your muscles so that they don’t get stuck in a contraction/ cramp.

• Joint pain: Similar to muscles, your joints need enough lubrication so that the bones can move together smoothly. Most joints in your body are surrounded by synovial fluid, which is primarily made up of— you guessed it— water! Without enough lubrication, joints can become painful and stiff.

So now that we’ve established why hydration is important, we are going to talk about the catch. 

The catch is that water alone is often not enough to hydrate your body.

This is because our bodies are constantly trying to maintain the right balance of water and “not-water”. So, if you only consume plain water, your body will likely just let it pass right through to the other side! However, if you add electrolytes to your water, your body will “keep” more water to maintain the balance, which ultimately drives true hydration. 

This is especially important during the summer months, as we lose both water and electrolytes while sweating. In order to help your body stay hydrated and “keep the balance”, try adding electrolytes into your water after exercising or spending time outside in the heat. 

It is important to find an electrolyte blend that minimizes added sugars and keeps unnecessary ingredients out of the mix. Our clinic currently offers sample packs of LMNT electrolyte packs, which are sugar free, vegan, and contain just the basics. If hydration is important to you (and we think it should be), stop by and grab a sample pack to help your body help you this summer!