Learn reasons for dehydration fatigue, avoid fatigue after exercise & natural fatigue remedies
Dehydration and fatigue are linked - chronic dehydration leads to feeling general fatigue and lethargy.
It even effects mood, happiness and joy in living.
(This page does not discuss "chronic fatigue syndrome" but rather fatigue that is general and fatigue after exercise.)
A sign of fatigue and fatigue disorder due to dehydration is tiredness without reason. Another is when fatigue after exercise is out of proportion to the amount of exercise.
Another sign is intense craving for caffeine and intense hunger for solid food. Both may be mis-perceptions of thirst.
How, why is water involved in fatigue?
Did you know that water is a nutrient, a source of energy, not just a carrier and metabolizer of nutrients?
It activates electrical and magnetic energy in our cells.
It is needed to extract energy from the food we eat.
It gives us the energy needed to move, think, concentrate. Dehydration could lead to "attention deficit disorder."
Reasons for fatigue when dehydrated
The 3 main effects of dehydration that contribute to dehydration fatigue and fatigue disorder:
*Dehydration reduces blood volume so less blood flows to vital organs and body parts.
*Dehydration of tissues slows enzymatic activity. Enzymes are vital for the production of energy.
*Dehydration of the brain leads quickly to the perception of fatigue.
Dehydration fatigue disorder may be nothing more than a symptom of chronic dehydration.
General fatigue, for no apparent reason, is a sign that you need to drink water. It's also a result of lifestyle imbalances that need to be addressed.
Drinking coffee as a substitute for water, which is quite common, is a good example.
For caffeine drinkers, more and more is needed to fire up cells, a job that should fall to water. The brain is especially needy when it comes to energy-producing substances.
Eventually, if cells dependent on caffeine, become too fatigued, there is never enough caffeine, leading to general fatigue disorder.
Fatigue after exercise
A certain amount of fatigue after exercise is normal
This section addresses over-fatigue to exercise and how to bounce back quicker.
Exercise leads to dehydration. The intensity of the workout, the level of hydration before, during and after the workout will help determine how quickly and completely you recover.
The problem with exercisers -
*Underestimate the effects of workout on hydration level.
*Misunderstand how drastic the effects of even mild dehydration are on the ability to workout.
*Underestimate how much water is being lost and drink too little to replace fluid loss.
A major reason for fatigue is the lost electrolytes in perspiration during exercise. The electrolytes lost include:
Exercise fatigue remedies to combat dehydration fatigue
If you exercise at moderate intensity for less than an hour, drink water immediately following followed by a balanced meal to replace lost electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.
Full hydration should occur in a few hours.
If you exercise for several hours, you should be drinking during activity and during and after exercise, an electrolyte replacement drink is preferable to water. Afterward, have a balanced meal and return to drinking water again.
If exercise is very intense and long-lasting, your body may require a day or so to fully hydrate.
To simply drink water after such a workout could lead to water intoxication due to mineral loss and death. Click on "Water intoxication" tab for more. Also see below for homemade electrolyte hydration drink.
Plan for increasing endurance and decreasing exercise fatigue.
1)Long-term adequate hydration. If your body is not chronically dehydrated, you are less likely to suffer from dehydration fatigue due to exercise. Click on tab "How much water" for more.
2)One half hour before activity, drink 1 - 2 glasses of water.
3)During activity, drink 4 ounces of water every 15 minutes.
4)After activity, drink 2 - 3 quarts of water over 4 hours to fully hydrate and recover in time for your next workout.
Electrolyte loaded drinks
This website urges drinking water in place of the many drinks that have come to replace water for consumers. However, intense exercise is one of the few activities which create a need for a drink other than water.
One reason for this is that research shows that exercisers will drink more of a lightly-flavored beverage than water.
The well known electrolyte drinks (like Gatorade) are fine but we encourage you to make your own drink and save it in the fridge.
Gatorade Substitute
1 pckg Kool Aid, any flavor
2 qts water
1/4 - 1/2 cups sugar (To taste)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt (A must)
1/2 cup orange juice (or another potassium filled juice)
If workout extends to over an hour, you may add a little sugar, salt and juice per hour over first hour up to an extra quarter tsp salt, tbls sugar and 1/2 cup of juice extra.
Drink before meal and wait at least 15 minutes before eating meal.
Fatigue and contaminated water
Finally, we encourage you to drink water that is healthy, preferably filtered because contaminated water may bring on fatigue or lengthen recovery. Click on "Contamination" tab for more.
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It even effects mood, happiness and joy in living.
