by Stockbyte
Technique one to create a leading edge for yourself:
At work, you are an athlete. Your race is the project before you. Being in top form will give you that edge to get things done faster and more efficiently.
The physiology of your success is how your body functions; all the parts and processes that go into breathing, moving, and thinking to achieve the goals you set.
Hydration:
I once saw a race where two female runners had become dehydrated. When they came to the finish line they could no longer control their bodies. I watched in shock as both racers were staggering, limbs going limp. Each began to collapse to the ground. They tried desperately to get up just to make it those few last steps. Neither could make it to the finish. It seemed physically impossible. Their muscles were no longer getting the oxygen they needed to move and function.
by Tom Merton
The main transport system in your body uses water for fluidity. Dehydration, or lack of water, slows down the transport of nutrients and oxygen to all the cells in your body making your heart beat faster and harder to keep up with necessary function. Less oxygen transport means slower cognition, clarity and focus at your job.
More than half the population is living in dehydration. If you get less than 64 ounces of water a day you are getting more dehydrated.
Caffeinated drinks do not count. Caffeine dehydrates you further so drink 8 ounces more water for each caffeinated beverage.
Tip: Drink larger amounts of water at once. From the time you drink water it takes 90 minutes to circulate through your system and filter through your kidneys. This means fewer trips to the restroom.
3 replies on “Physiology of Success: Technique One”
I like your thinking of the workforce and their hydration to keep up performance. Can I ask, what is 64ounces is based on? 1 oz water per every 10 pounds of body weight? Also, can you provide more detailed physiological effects of the dehydration effects of caffeine? I’m vaguely familiar with a report that was done on athletes who drank coffee. It was conducted at the Summer Olympics in Greece. The findings were consuming coffee had a negligible effect on body fluid tonicity. Theory is a pot of coffee is mostly water. The caffeine that is consumed blocks ADH long enough for the body to excrete all that water consumed by drinking cups of coffee. It’s not the water that hydrates but the electrolytes. Can somebody educate me where I’m wrong.
Tony, Thank-you for your comments and questions. This is indeed an extensive topic. To address your questions I’ve provided some more information.
Why 64 ounces a day?
Ways our body loses water/fluid every day:
1. Breathing/talking
2. Sweating/skin
3. Urination/filtration
4. Elimination (Feeces)
According to The Food and Nutrition Board:
2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women and of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily) for men of total fluid.
Another source from the University of Washington states:
Roughly half your body weight (pounds) = ounces of water necessary daily and also state that the minimum is 60 ounces.
Physiological effects of dehydration effects of caffeine?
Caffeine in moderate amounts is considered a mild diuretic. Caffeine also blocks ADH attachment to collecting duct epithelium
What is ADH?
As Defined by: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
ADH is a hormone stored in the posterior pituitary gland in the brain. It is the primary regulator of water in the body. ADH acts on the kidneys to increase total body water. This decreases the plasma concentration, increasing blood volume and increasing blood pressure.
The release of ADH is controlled by cells, called osmoreceptors and baroreceptors. Osmoreceptors are specialized areas in the hypothalamus (an area in the brain). These cells sense the concentration of particles in the blood. When the concentration is high, the pituitary releases more ADH. This stimulates retention of water to dilute the body fluids. When the concentration is low, the pituitary releases less ADH.
Baroreceptors are specialized areas in the heart that sense blood volume and blood pressure. The heart signals the pituitary to release more ADH when blood volume or blood pressure are low and less when they are high.
Coffee and Athletes?
Follow this link for a good article pertaining studies you mention.
http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm
Not water but electrolytes hydrates?
If it were the case that it is not the water we drink but electrolyte balance, than it would seem that we could carry electrolyte pills to avoid dehydration.
Dehydration is defined as:
Lack of adequate blood volume in blood stream (isotonic fluid losses).
Lack of water leads to an excess of salts in plasma (i.e. hyper-osmotic environment)
urine becomes very concentrated, low in volume & dark in color.
My thoughts are that if we expel water through our breath than we do indeed have to replace that water.
Are you going to write technique two, three, etc.?