Water and well-being
The most widely consumed drink in the world, water is a vital element which affects performance and health. Regular daily hydration has positive effects on our well-being. These benefits often go unnoticed but are nevertheless deserving of our attention.
A highly coveted resource, water is a vital natural need. While we can do without food for several weeks, deprival of water can barely exceed 2 to 3 days without irreparable consequences for our survival.
This fundamental dependency can largely be explained by our physiology: water is the main component of any human being, our body containing 60 to 65% water.
To meet our natural water requirements, we need to take in water regularly. However, depending on our level of physical activity, the climatic conditions and our state of health, our water consumption may vary very considerably.
Under normal conditions, it is estimated that an adult loses approximately 2.5 litres of water per day in perspiration and urine. Our need for water is therefore directly linked to this natural elimination.
For an adult, it is thus recommended to drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day, the water contained in food supplying the rest.
Furthermore, we often forget that daily intake of water is the source of one of the greatest pleasures that man can experience: when in a state of dehydration and fatigue, water is a delicious drink. Water thus has real effects on our ability to sustain efforts and on our powers of concentration.
Sources:
- “Hydratation et performance” (“Hydration and performance”) - Dr Curé
- “L’eau et la santé : perspectives de recherché” (“Water and health: research prospects”) - Pr Fantino
- “Le boire, physiologie et réalité” (“Drinking: physiology and reality”) - Pr Nicolaïdis
