IS THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU DRINK CONNECTED TO DECREASED BRAIN PERFORMANCE?

It’s an interesting thing; we hear all of the time that around 60% of our bodies are made up of water, yet the majority of the time we interpret the importance of that as only relating to physical performance. It’s often much the same when it relates to the proactive health activities that we engage in. We consider exercise, nutrition, mobility and other types of activities that are designed to maintain optimal physical health and spend much less time on activities that maintain optimal cognitive health (think reading, meditation, memory card games, or learning a new language). 

The good news? When it comes to water, it’s the epitome of the classic “kill two birds with one stone” scenario! The cells in our bodies depend on water to carry out their necessary functions and that includes brain cells. By ensuring you drink the correct amount of water daily for your cells to function optimally, both the physical body and your brain health benefit. Let’s take a look at 3 of the key brain health concerns that come as a result of inadequate hydration.

MOTOR COORDINATION & REACTION TIME
A meta-analysis of 33 studies that monitored 413 participants took a look at the effects of dehydration among the participants ranging from 1 – 6% body mass loss. It was found that complex tasks suffered the most – “tasks of executive function, attention and motor coordination were significantly impaired”. The drop off was shown to directly affect reaction times, with the most notable dropoff happening at a body mass loss of 2% or greater. Practically speaking,that means a 150lb individual that loses 3lbs of fluid due to dehydration

FATIGUE & MOOD CHANGES
A study of 13 healthy adults monitored the effects of heat and exercise induced stress through 150 minutes of exercise, while comparing the results of those with water replacement, those without and those who remained in seated rest. It was found that as dehydration occurred, brain activity began to increase; meaning, the brain began working harder to complete the same task. In younger people with increased brain capacity, the results were higher levels of fatigue and mood changes. In older populations with less capacity, the result was often decreased performance. 

ACCELERATION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE
In aging populations, it’s been found that individuals already suffering from varying forms of dementia are specifically at risk of increased cognitive decline as a result of dehydration. Both the build up of toxic proteins in the brain (as a result of decreased water in the cells to clear the toxins out) as well as the “diminished sensation of thirst” that occurs as we age, contribute to the decline. This is especially important to note in individuals who are already at a higher risk of developing severe cognitive diseases. 

It’s certainly not all doom and gloom! Understanding the risks helps us to better realize the importance of our daily hydration habits. Knowing the cause of effects like the ones mentioned above affords us the opportunity to get ahead of the curve by focusing on simply building the daily habit of adequate hydration. 

While there will always be varying opinions on what that proper daily amount is, you can’t go wrong with remembering the 8 x 8 rule: 8 glasses of 8oz per day! From there, throw in additional glasses based on your level of activity on any given day.