Category: Health

What is Hyper-Hydration?

I just received a note from my buddy, Shane ‘The People’s Chemist’ Ellison, about the importance of hyper-hydration for athletes. He posted on this topic his blog, ThePeoplesChemist.com, under the title, Blazing Fast Hyper-Hydration for Athletes and More. Shane’s approach is like mine, since he is also a scientist. He insists on presenting information based on the real science behind advice for fitness training, so I consider him to be a credible source of information.

The first thing I thought was that this is a nutty idea from sports drinks manufacturers to promote their crappy drinks. However, with a little digging, I found that sports physiologists have been doing some real research on this topic and have come up with a way to boost physical performance by increasing an athlete’s percentage of total body water above baseline. This is what they refer to as hyper-hydration.

One of the key features of this research is that it involves oral formulas, not intravenous ones. Another key feature is that, as I have learned many times over, water alone is not effective for boosting percent total body water. In fact, you can suffer from taking in too much water if it contains nothing except water.

In a nutshell, here is the formula that Shane presented:

1 pint of purified water
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of glycerin (also called glycerol)

You may, if you wish, take this formula at face value and go ahead and use it as is. I suspect, though, that inquiring minds will want to know more about what is behind it, what to expect from it, and how to improve on it. In fact, these are the reasons why I dug into this topic.

Sugar and Salt – Keys to Hydration

Dehydration, of course, is not just a loss of water. It also entails a loss of salt (specifically, sodium) and other electrolytes. Water and salt, therefore, are obvious components of any formula for rehydration – meaning the reversal of dehydration. The importance of sugar (sucrose, or table sugar) in this kind of formula is based on the discovery that glucose (one of the two simple sugars comprising sucrose, the other being fructose) acts as a co-transporter for salt. In fact, sodium uptake in the intestines requires either glucose or galactose (one of the two simple sugars of milk sugar, lactose, the other being glucose), without which intestinal sodium will not be absorbed.

Lots of details on the importance of salt and glucose for rehydration are also provided here on Wikipedia under Oral rehydration therapy. The complete story on Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) involves reversing what used to be the main killer of children worldwide – i.e., dehydration. The discovery of effective ORT formulas has relegated dehydration to Number 2 (behind pneumonia) as a killer of children around the world. Lots more good stuff on this topic is available online from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, under Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) with reduced osmolarity.

If is seems as though I am digressing, then I am. However, taking just a cursory peek at the WHO-ORT formula reveals that potassium is an equally important ingredient for rehydration. In fact, from what I know about human physiology, this is obvious. Cell membranes have what are called sodium-potassium pumps, which means that these two electrolytes work together and depend on one another for transporting substances into and out of cells. You’ve got to have them both.

By the way, before I get ahead of myself: If you are looking for ingredients for formulating your own formulas, then here are two sources that may not be obvious. 1) Glucose is available very inexpensively at any brewery supply store (I think I paid seven dollars for five pounds); 2) potassium is available as potassium chloride in ‘no-salt’ salt in any grocery store. Ask for it if you don’t find it (our local store has it next to regular salt, near the spice section). And don’t overdo the potassium, since too much at one time has negative side effects.

Oh, another thing is that glucose is better than table sugar, by about double. Table sugar (sucrose) includes a molecule of fructose for every molecule of glucose. The extra fructose adds unnecessary calories to your diet.

Rehydration and Hyper-Hydration Are Not the Same Thing

This is where the body of research on hydration seems to make a fork in the road. Rehydration treats dehydration. Hyper-hydration boosts total body water percent over your baseline level. Both are important for fitness. However, most folks are unaware of the importance of boosting pre-exercise total body water or how to do it. And I can tell you right now that I could find nothing in the research literature on using ORT, or some equivalent, in sports medicine other than for rehydration.

Glycerin is the Key Ingredient

The use of glycerin/glycerol (available in pharmacies or nutrition stores) for enhancing endurance has been a key topic in sports medicine for many years. The main points on the use of glycerin are based on research that I found in my favorite medical database, PubMed. I came up with 40 articles there by using the search phrase ‘hyperhydration AND glycerol’. The most succinct of these offered guidelines from an article that appeared in the journal, Sports Medicine, Vol. 40 (no. 2): pp. 113-129 (Feb 1, 2010), titled: Guidelines for glycerol use in hyperhydration and rehydration associated with exercise.

Here’s what these guidelines entail:

To increase your body water content by 1 liter:

Over a period of 60 minutes, for every kilogram of your body mass, drink 26 milliliters of water containing 1.2 grams of glycerol. THIS IS A HUGE AMOUNT! For my size (198 lbs, or 90 kilograms), this would mean 90 x 26 milliters = 2340 (i.e., 2.34 liters, or just under 2.5 quarts – more than a half a gallon!), containing a total of 108 grams of glycerol (a little over 17 teaspoons).

WHEW! No wonder stomach cramps are one of the side effects! Drinking more than a half a gallon of pure water in an hour might cause stomach cramps all by itself.

To delay dehydration during exercise:

This seems simpler. Drink glycerol, 0.125 g/kg BW in a volume equal to 5 mL/kg BW. No time frame given. For me, this would be 11.25 grams of glycerol in 450 milliliters. Drinking this much liquid when I am running would mean stopping to drink, which would be fine. Based on the research that I have seen, this would only be important for exercise that lasts an hour or more.

To rehydrate after exercise:

Add 1.0 g/kg BW to each 1.5 L of fluid consumed after a workout. DOUBLE WOW! For me this would be 90 grams of glycerol in 1.5 liters (versus 108 grams in 2.34 liters for hyper-hydration ahead of time). Glycerol is what we call osmotically active, which means that it attracts water. The bottom line is that 90 grams of glycerol in just 1.5 liters of water would pull so much water into my gut that I would almost certainly get runny diarrhea. This seems counterproductive, doesn’t it?

Comparing Formulas

Shane’s original formula above, which launched me down this path in the first place, comes out to 3 teaspoons in 473 milliters of water, which is about 87 percent as concentrated as the guideline for pre-exercise hyper-hydration in the Sports Medicine article. His formula, however, would advise me to drink only about 20 percent of the recommended volume according to the published guidelines (i.e., 473 vs. 2,340 milliliters).

The Unknowns

We don’t know how effective a combination of the ORT formula is with glycerin, as recommended by The People’s Chemist. We simply have no research on it. The sports medicine people and the world health people are simply not on the same page. Here is where personal experimentation is required. Specifically, I suggest that you see what happens to your percent total body water using different combinations of the ingredients that I’ve presented here. Don’t use your exercise performance to measure your response. This is too subjective.

You would do better to purchase a bathroom scale that offers total body water as one of the measurements. Any common floor-model bioelectric impedance device will do. I found a good one at my local Target for about 40 dollars (endorsed by Weight Watchers … how good is that?).

Then simply establish your baseline values (‘euhydration’ level) over a few days, at different times of the day, after different meals, after workouts, etc. Then play around with the formulas until you see some changes. Your status will be different from mine or from anyone else’s because your euhydration level, and your responses to any hydration formulas, depend on many variables – age, body fat percent and lean body mass, fitness level, types and extent of endurance workouts, health conditions, and many more.

Muscle Hydration is Crucial

While most of the work on hyper-hydration entails boosting plasma volume for endurance fitness, it is equally important to pay attention to muscle hydration. The simplest and most effective way to address this issue is to supplement with creatine. However, I don’t recommend that you seek advice on this topic from bodybuilding or other fitness sites. The real research behind this topic is phenomenal enough without subjecting yourself to marketing hype.

I’ve written a couple of posts that will bring you up to speed on muscle hydration and how to accomplish it with creatine. To pique your interest on this topic, I’ll just say for the moment that hydrating muscles makes them BIGGER! This isn’t the only reason that muscle hydration is important, although it is a nice side benefit.

How did Jennifer Nicole Lee, an hefty mom with two young kids go from being a 200 lb frump to a head-turning, beautifully toned, internationally acclaimed “Bikini Model” in under 12 months? I don’t know about you, but I’d really like to know.

If you’re not familiar with my story, let me quickly tell you a little about myself. My name is Nora Campbell. I was a grossly obese health provider and Ilost more than 60 lbs over a 16 month period. And for the past few years I’ve been writing and teaching others weight loss strategies, and reviewing the best diet plans to share with my readers..

Am I happy with my success? Absolutely. Yet when I saw how Jennifer Nicole Lee has sculpted her body, I must admit, for a moment a bit of envyreared its ugly head. Although I used to weigh in at close to 220 lbs, I’m now slender and reasonably fit. I can even hold my own in a bikini… but “I Ain’t No Fitness Model”. And I can’t help but wonder’If Jennifer can take her body from a dowdy 200 lbs mom, to drop-dead gorgeous fitness model, perhaps I can also. Perhaps we ALL can…’

So I decided to take a closer look at Jennifer Nicole Lee’s Fitness Model Program. After all, her program’s slogan is “How To Look Like A Fitness Model Without Being One”. Ok, so I admit that even though I’m a happily married woman with kids, I want to look like a fitness model. There, I said it. I’m not ashamed (well, maybe just a little ashamed).

So, after losing nearly 90lbs of excess weight, I thought I was happy just being thin and attractive, but secretly, I guess I’ve always wanted more… I’ve always wanted to be a “Knock-Out”! “But should I really try for GORGEOUS? Might I be setting myself up for disappointment? For failure? Maybe…

But I decided to take a closer look at her Fitness Model Program to find out Jennifer’s secrets.Needless to say, since Jennifer Nicole Lee’s Fitness Model Program is protected under copyright law, I can’t divulge details about her health and fitness program. I will however, share some of the highlights. Perhaps you aren’t aware of this, but following her transformation, Jennifer Nicole Lee became a Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition. So, she definitely know what she’s talking about.

Jennifer’s Fitness Model Program is specifically for busy women just like YOU and ME (students, business women, mothers), to help women achieve a Fitness Model body in the least amount of time, expending the least amount of energy, and shelling out the least amount of money.

The Fitness Model Program doesn’t require hours of daily workouts to deliver results. This program claims that any woman can build attractive, feminine muscle tone with her 20-minute per day workouts done at home. And you will need only simple equipment like barbells, an exercise bench and workout mat.

But what about the eating plan? That’s an excellent questio. The nutrition guidelines for this program actually require you to eat MORE, and more often. This program shows you the foods you MUST EAT to burn fat! And rest assured you that you WILL NOT be hungry on this plan!

The “Fitness Model Program” shows you weight training secrets, and shares techniques for getting maximum results. And her program will even show you how to get rid of cellulite! Her nutrition and interval training techniques will also give you more energy and more stamina!

The Jennifer Nicole Lee 12-Week Fitness Model Program is designed to help you create feminine muscle definition. And to become more confident and develop that Fitness Model look.

Regular physical activity offers numerous benefits to your overall health. Physical fitness plays a major role in the proper function of your body and your mind. When you exercise on a regular basis, you feel energized, alert, and fit. Here are a few of the benefits you will be reaping by incorporating fitness into your daily schedule.

The first benefit of physical fitness is warding off disease. Physical activity has been known to slow down or prevent numerous diseases, such as: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease. On top of its disease fighting abilities, a regular fitness regimen can help you slow down the aging process. When you exercise, your joints and your muscles become stronger and more flexible, which reduces your chances of developing numerous age related ailments.

The second benefit of physical activity is stress reduction. Fitness is a great distraction from our every day troubles and it gives us a chance to rid our bodies of excess energy which might otherwise increase stress levels. The third benefit of regular physical activity is weight maintenance. Exercise has always been a major factor for those who wish to lose weight. Even a person who is taking the best diet pills and consuming the healthiest diet can benefit from physical fitness. Some people swear by the results they get from regular physical activity along with the all natural appetite suppressant known as hoodia. Aside from aiding with weight loss, regular exercise also boosts your brain power. By increasing your energy levels you increase the serotonin in your brain, this in return leads to improved mental clarity. So the next time you find yourself doubting what physical fitness can do for you, read over this article and imagine all of the health benefits you could be gaining right now.

Being physically fit takes some work, but the benefits are well worth it. You will feel better. You will look better. Your body will respond better. The benefits of physical fitness are numerous. Participating in some form of physical fitness on a regular basis will help to protect your body against disease and injury.

Your energy levels will dramatically increase and you should start to feel the difference quite soon after beginning some sort of exercise regime. When you are physically fit you will feel a release of some of your stress and be more relaxed within your body. Your body will develop muscle and your exercise performance levels should start to climb quite early on.

The benefits of being physically fit will help you to be more in control of your own body. Your body will start to take on a shape and you will notice muscles and curves where you never thought were possible before. You are actually sculpting your body.

Another benefit of physical fitness is what goes on internally in your body. If you are plagued by any ailments, such as a weakened cardiac system, including high blood pressure or high cholesterol, being physically fit will help with those things as well. When you are exercising you are strengthening every part of your body internally also.

Being physically active will help you to trim the fat off your body. With this additional decrease in fat, and most likely loss of weight, your heart does not have to work as hard as it did prior to this. Your blood pressure and cholesterol will benefit in reduced levels.

Physical activity will help your joints to become more flexible. If you have arthritic symptoms exercise will help to keep your joints flexible. It might take some effort to get motivated on this as when you first start to exercise you might feel some aches and pains where you never had them before. This, however, will improve as your body becomes accustomed to this increase in activity and movement.

When you are physically fit your metabolism will burn your calories more efficiently. Your circulation will also improve. In addition, your oxygen levels will rise.

When you are participating in any type of physical activity program it is suggested that you obtain the approval of your physician before you begin. When exercising remember that your posture is very important and core muscle control will secure that you do not injure yourself while exercising.

Physical fitness benefits are abundant and you owe it to yourself to practice some sort of physical activity approximately three to four times a week for approximately 30 minutes. It does not matter what type of activity you choose. It is best to follow some sort of routine, but if you do become bored with what you have chosen just switch it up with something else. The important thing is that you are putting your body through some form of motion, which is always a healthy thing to do.

If you do not use your body you will lose your muscle mass along with a decline in other areas of your body, both internally and externally, as well. Be smart and start your physical fitness program today. Your body will reward you with better health.

Home health care services are one of the best options people can turn to when they are looking for a solution to get over some issues with their health. No matter if you have been in an accident or if your health has suffered an impact you can recover from, this would be the best option you can turn to in order to get your life back on track faster.

There are many recommendations your doctor will make so you can see real results faster and the therapy support you can get from the caregiver will prove priceless. Every day of the week you will be able to exercise and perform any other activity your doctor has prescribed and you will have the best help for it in the comfort of your own home.

But this is not the only experience you will share with your caregiver. Apart from therapy support, you will be able to go shopping at the malls so you can see other people in their daily routines. It will be great to get out of the house and it would have a great impact on your mental health as well, so you have to engage in this as often as you can.

If you do not want to waste your money, yet you enjoy recreational activities as well, the caregiver that provides the home health care services can also take you out to socialize. There are many people that you cannot wait to see and talk to again and with the proper assistance you can go in the park or in any other place where you meet with them.

Taking care of your health is a demanding task and the people you care for may not come to see you as often as you like. This happens due to their busy lives, due to the fact that they do not want to see you suffer or any other reason you can imagine. This is why the caregiver will become one of the closest persons you can turn to for a talk.

Even if they are paid to provide the home health care services you need, they are human and they cannot act like a machine. It is inevitable to create a relationship of trust and friendship between you and them since you will put your life in their hands as well. It will also help you feel better knowing you have someone close to you at all times.

If you do not want to waste any more time than you have to and you want to be sure you will turn to the best agency for the therapy support you need, the first site you should visit is the one at carechoice.net.au. This is where you will find all the answers you need and you will surely find the caregivers that will take care of all your needs.