Feeling Tired, Sluggish or Foggy? It Might Not Be the Heat

Every summer we are told to drink more water.

Living in the Algarve, it's advice we hear all the time. As the temperatures rise, we spend more time outdoors, whether that's walking, playing padel, golf, exercising, heading to the beach or simply enjoying the sunshine.

Most of us know we should drink more ( water not wine!) , but have you ever stopped to think about why?

We tend to think dehydration simply means feeling thirsty. In reality, by the time we feel thirsty, we are often already becoming dehydrated.

The body relies on water. The brain is largely made up of water,  so it is no wonder that one of the first signs of dehydration can be difficulty concentrating, brain fog, headaches or feeling irritable for no obvious reason.

When water is in short supply, the body is clever and prioritises brain, heart lungs and other vital organs. The knock on effect is that other functions can start to suffer. 

The heart can be affected too. When we become dehydrated, blood volume decreases and the heart has to work harder to circulate blood around the body. This is one of the reasons dehydration can leave us feeling tired, sluggish and lacking energy.

Muscles also rely heavily on water a large percentage of muscle tissue is water. Even mild dehydration can affect physical performance, recovery and how the body feels during activity.

As we get older, our sense of thirst becomes less reliable, meaning we are often not as good at recognising when we need to drink. This is one reason dehydration becomes more common with age.

So how much should we drink? A sensible guideline is around 2 litres per day for women and 2.5 litres for men. However, that is simply your baseline requirement. If you are active, exercising or spending time outdoors in an Algarve summer, you will almost certainly need more, and add electrolytes into the water for an added boost.

Hydration may not be the most exciting health topic, but it affects almost every system in the body. Sometimes feeling better, thinking more clearly and having more energy starts with something as simple as drinking enough water.