Water constitutes 50-60% of an average persons body weight and is vital for life. When fully hydrated, physical and mental performance is optimal, but even relatively small fluid losses can dramatically impair your ability to mountain bike efficiently. Physical performance is reduced by 5% for every 1% loss of body fluid. This means that if you loose 5% of your body weight through sweating, you should expect a 30% drop in physical performance. A fluid loss of as much as 9-12% can be fatal.
How does fluid loss effect performance?
· The main constituent of blood plasma is water, which is the body’s internal transport mechanism. Red blood cells and nutrients are carried in this aqueous solution to different parts of the body delivering the fuel for physical exercise. In addition to red blood cells and nutrients, carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes are carried by the blood plasma to be removed from the body, and the hormones that regulate metabolism use this same transport system to reach their required destinations. Dehydration thickens the blood by removing water from this fluid cocktail, causing the bloods constituents to become less diluted, which leads to reduced cardiovascular function.
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