People at Risk of Dehydration
The hydration of infants, very young and the elderly should be under vigilance. The elderly can become dehydrated without being thirsty, because the sensation is blunted with age. Sporting activity is a risk of poor hydration to be taken into account. It is important to hydrate before, during and after exercise to allow the body to resume its normal functioning in the best conditions. The principles of hydration, however, are slightly different depending on the intensity of effort. More exercise, the greater water losses are substantial, the greater the amount of beverages must be important. The cells of the human body needs water to operate at full capacity. For example, dehydration of 2%, a loss of 1.5 liters for a man weighing 70 kilos, reduced performance by 20%.
The causes of poor hydration, Dehydration causes a reduction of blood volume, and often leads to discomfort and loss of consciousness. The body tolerates very little decrease in the percentage of body water. In a poor hydration unmatched 2 to 3 liters, disturbances occur: cardiac output and blood pressure drop, the pulse increases, the temperature rises dangerously performance decreases. The individual may then heat stroke. If dehydration results in a deficit of about 8 liters of water this can even be fatal.