Don't Go Low on Water if You Want a High on the Golf Course

Water--we are made up of it, we are surrounded by it, but we never usually consume enough of it.

In the body, water is the fluid in which all essential life processes occur. Every cell of our wonderful body, every tissue and organ needs water to function.

About 50-55% of women's bodies are made up of water. Ladies, the figures are 55-60% for men (because of the difference in lean body mass in the two sexes), just so you know. So, tell your man to down that aqua as you do.

Compared to most other sports, playing golf is considered a light exercise. Even so, as a golfer, you can lose a considerable amount of water through your skin's surface (perspiration) and as a by-product of your kidneys doing their job. During light exercise in a comfortable, moderate environment, an athlete can lose 500 to 1000 ml of water per hour, which amounts to one to two pounds of your daily fluid needs. During exercise, the goal is to fully replace this fluid loss.

Now, too much or too little water can have a profound effect on our health. So, what's recommended is that for each pound of water lost, you should consume about 16 ounces of fluid to maintain proper fluid balance. If you drink only enough to quench thirst, it will replace only half to two-thirds of the fluid lost. So, adjust your consumption accordingly and sip on the elixir of life as you wait around for the next putt.

Studies have shown that consumption of water every 10 to 15 minutes during exercise improves performance. And, it's important to drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water within the first 15 minutes following your golf session.

You will know if you are dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include unusual fatigue, light-headedness, nausea, headache, irritability, and dark urine or urinating infrequently (less than 4 times a day) besides thirst.

Dehydration is the major cause of poor performance, increased risk of heat exhaustion, illness, slow recovery, and increased risk of infections such as cold and flu. If you do not hydrate your body in time, chronic dehydration could lead to much more serious complications over the course of time--problems with your heart or kidneys or high blood pressure.

Besides, there are many other benefits of drinking water that are too important to ignore:

Your body will function at its best Food cannot be digested without water. It is required to break down and assimilate food. It carries essential nutrients into the blood stream.

Water helps digested food pass through the body quicker, preventing constipation. With adequate consumption of water, toxins and waste material are not given the chance to stay within the body for too long, when they can accumulate to dangerous levels.

Flushing our intestines with plenty of water allows us to maintain stable and safe quantities of yeast and bacteria, which play an important role in digestion and keep all our systems functioning optimally.

Water is essential for proper circulation. So, drink that O2 and be kind to your heart. That, in turn will rev you up for those smooth swings that will be the envy of many.

Drink enough water, and you may never know what achy joints and muscle cramps are on the golf course.

If you are prone to heat exhaustion, drinking enough water can prevent it.

Your skin will glow Remaining for long periods outdoors, where you are exposed to sun, wind (hot or cold) and other elements of the weather can take its toll on your skin. Water helps to keep our skin healthy and glowing. It helps the body to flush out fat, toxins, and unwanted substances. It keeps the skin from getting wrinkled.

Your brain will work better Plenty of water keeps our thought processes and brain function at their peak levels. You may even be surprised to notice a marked improvement in your coordination and spatial judgment. Get those holes in one, girl!

You will be less prone to headaches. Not enough water is often the cause of headaches.

What kind of water should you be drinking?

Plain water, free of chlorine and impurities, and preferably not stripped of minerals is the best.

You should also include foods high in water content--skimmed milk, soup that's not too high in sodium, fruits and vegetables, and unsweetened fruit juices--in your diet.

Fizzy drinks contain water but can cause tooth decay due to the large amounts of sugars they contain. Or if they are sugar-free, it's the artificial sweeteners that can cause havoc. Alcoholic or caffeinated beverages are not ideal as they act as diuretics, making the body urinate more than it normally would, taxing your kidneys.

Let's get the water out and drink to our health and a great game of golf!

Playing your best golf demands peak performance. The benefits of exercise, nutrition, and an understanding of how physical conditioning control the metal side of golf is a vital, yet often overlooked, aspect of women's golf

Hot Topics In Health

    How To Treat Sleep Deprivation Using CPAP

    Treating sleep deprivation using CPAP is considered as an effective treatment strategy. Sleep derivation is the condition in which the patient cannot experience a continuous sleep. It is considered to...

    Plantar Warts Explained

    Warts (including plantar warts) are a viral (verruca vulgaris) infection of the skin. They are contracted by coming in direct contact with the virus.

    If you've ever stepped barefoot into a locker ro...

    Is Lasik Surgery Covered By Insurance?

    Lasik surgery is an eye vision correction method that has been growing in popularity. Lasik surgery can greatly improve eyesight, eliminating the use of eye glasses or contact lenses. It's a relativel...

    How Much Does Laser Eye Surgery Typically Cost?

    The cost of laser eye surgery can vary greatly depending on the type of surgery to be performed, the patient's prescription, the equipment used, and the doctor or surgical provider in question. There ...

    Diet And Sperm Quality

    There comes a time in most committed relationships where couples decide that they want to bring a child into the world. Visions of chubby newborns dance in the heads of baby's mom and dad while hopes ...

    Anatomical Charts

    Anatomical Charts

    Human anatomical charts have been used since the 18th century for many purposes in the healthcare profession. Whether you're a surgeon, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseus...

    Diet Soda; Is It Good Or Bad If You Are On A Diet?

    The debate over whether diet soda is a dieter's friend or a dieter's enemy seems to become more heated every day.

    One side is saying diet soda is a great beverage for people trying to lose weight an...

    Functional Food: Preventing Diseases and Promoting Pet Health

    Food and diet play an important role in health. Every day, research in fields such as epidemiology and nutritional biochemistry teach us more about this relationship. Through scientific investigation ...

    Mosquito Bites - Remedy And Repellents

    It's a nice summer day and you're relaxing in your yard. Suddenly, you feel something bite you. You may begin to itch, when another bite takes place, and then another. It's those pesky mosquitoes agai...

    A Brief History Of Hip Replacement Surgery

    Hip replacement is a medical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a synthetic implant. It is the most successful, cheapest and safest form of joint replacement surgery. The earliest recorde...

    A Practical 12-Month Organic Living Plan

    We can talk and think about something until cows fly!

    But it's what we actually DO, that matters; that creates results.

    If you've been thinking and talking about eating and using more organic prod...

    The True Cost Of Smoking, Literally.

    What would you and your partner do with 07,887.50? Spend it on cigarettes perhaps? Well, if you and your partner both smoke 60 cigarettes a day between you, and you both smoke for another 50 years, th...

Most Recent Health Supplements

Interesting Today:

Most Recent Health Blogs:

Releated to Health:

Health Links:

Health Health Rss feeds.