Insufficient of water reduces mens mental fitness 1260x542
16 Jan 2012

Insufficient water reduces men's mental fitness

2 mins to read
Men may be putting their health and mental performance at risk by not drinking enough water. Online personal trainer Andrew Cate looks at the link between hydration and brain function.


What is mental fitness?
Just like physical fitness, your mental fitness has a significant impact on your quality of life. Both work and leisure are influenced by your ability to solve problems, concentrate, plan ahead, apply knowledge, get organised and take action on personal decisions. Mental fitness also relates to your memory and brain function. New research on men has shown that hydration levels, or how much water your drink, can have an impact on cognitive performance and mood.

The research
A study reported in the British Journal of Nutrition examined the effects of mild dehydration on cognitive performance of young males. Behavioural tasks were selected to assess a range of cognitive functions, such as reaction time, learning, working memory and logical reasoning. The researchers found mild dehydration (fluid levels down by 1.59%) in men resulted in:

  • reduced vigilance (their ability to maintain attention and alertness)
  • lower scores of working memory measured by adverse changes in response time
  • increased tension/anxiety
  • increased fatigue

There was no reporting of symptoms associated with more severe levels of dehydration such as headaches or loss of concentration, demonstrating that it only takes mild levels of dehydration to have detrimental effects. According to the researchers, this mild level of dehydration may be encountered routinely by adults during daily activities. The researchers said the exact mechanisms responsible for the deterioration of cognitive performance and mood resulting from mild dehydration are not known, but they did speculate that changes in electrolyte balance may be involved. Mild dehydration may also result in thicker blood, which could impair the delivery of nutrients and removal of waste at a cellular level.

Tips on staying hydrated
While staying hydrated is important for your physical and mental health, there is no “one size fits all” rule on how much water to drink. This is because water needs vary considerably between individuals due to weight, age, gender, diet, other beverages consumed, air temperature and humidity, occupation, fitness, physical activity levels and illness. The following tips offer some guidelines on how to drink enough water to keep your brain and body firing on all cylinders:

  • One helpful guide is to drink 30 ml of water per kilogram of body weight every day. For example, a 70 kilogram man would need to consume 2100 millilitres of water a day, or just over 2 litres.
  • Drink a little extra water if you’re active, if you sweat a lot, if it’s hot or humid, or if you work in an air-conditioned office.
  • Don’t rely on thirst to guide your fluid needs, as it’s not always a reliable guide. For this reason, try to make drinking water a habit by adding it on to other daily rituals, such as drinking a glass with meals, after going to the toilet, or after brushing your teeth.
  • Solid food does contribute to your total fluid needs, especially plant foods such as fruits and vegetables.
  • Have a water bottle on hand at your desk, in your fridge and in your car.
  • Be more aware of your water intake as you get older. People who start to lose their appetite eat a smaller volume of food and get less water from food in their diet.
  • If you don’t like water straight up, add a slice of lemon, lime or orange, or have it on ice with a sprig of fresh mint.
  • Be wary of drinks containing caffeine and alcohol which may have a dehydrating effect.
  • You can also get too much of a good thing. Over-hydration occurs when you drink more water than the kidneys and liver can process in one day, resulting in nausea and the leaching of important nutrients.

References available upon request



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