Much More Than Just Drinking Water

Table of Contents

Introduction:

A few years ago, I found myself grinding out long, hot miles on the C&O Towpath, just outside Washington, D.C., preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon. Week after week through July, August, and September, my marathon training schedule had me logging 12 to 20 miles at a time—often in the afternoon sun, when the heat was at its peak.

I wasn’t unaware of hydration. I drank water and even used electrolytes here and there. But like many athletes, I didn’t fully grasp how hydration really works or how inadequate electrolyte support could impact my training, recovery, and long-term health.

I approached those long runs with my signature Jersey grit—the mindset of pushing through, embracing the grind, and toughing it out. At the time, that toughness felt like strength.

Looking back now, with the perspective of deeper research into lifestyle medicine and the science of hydration, I see it differently.

Today, I’m not solely interested in performance—I’m interested in health, longevity, and daily wellbeing. And hydration, I’ve come to realize, isn’t just a detail for endurance athletes. It’s a cornerstone of health that affects how we think, how we feel, how we move, and how we age.

In this article, we’ll explore:

What hydration actually is (spoiler: it’s more than just drinking water).
How it supports everything from energy and focus to heart and muscle function.
What happens when we’re even slightly dehydrated.
And how to build a simple, effective hydration plan for any lifestyle

Whether you’re training for a race, recovering from your 9-to-5, or just trying to feel more alive in your own body, hydration is a habit that’s too important to ignore—and thankfully, it’s one of the easiest to improve.

Let’s get into it.

What Is Hydration? And Why Does It Matter?

When we talk about “hydration,” we usually think of drinking water. And yes, fluid intake is part of the picture—but it’s not the whole story.

Hydration is the state of having enough water in the right places inside your body to keep every system working properly. That means having the right amount of water:

Inside your cells
Outside your cells (in the spaces between)
In your bloodstream
(Tobias, Ballard, & Mohiuddin, 2022)

Maintaining that balance requires more than water. It requires electrolytes—minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium that help move water where it needs to go (Shrimanker & Bhattarai, 2023).

The Science: Hydration = Water + Electrolytes + Distribution

Water makes up 50–70% of your body weight, depending on your age, sex, and body composition. Muscle holds a lot of water, while fat holds very little (Lu et al., 2023).

Your body constantly adjusts fluid levels using hormones and sensors to keep things in balance. This process—called fluid homeostasis—relies on:

Sodium and chloride to regulate fluid outside your cells
Potassium and phosphate to regulate fluid inside your cells
Your kidneys to filter excess water and waste

The sodium-potassium pump, a microscopic “engine” in every cell that uses electrolytes to generate electrical signals, move nutrients, and support muscle and nerve function (Roumelioti et al., 2018).

Disrupt this balance, and your cells either shrink (if you’re underhydrated) or swell (if you drink too much plain water without electrolytes). Either way, performance and health suffer (Shrimanker & Bhattarai, 2023).

Euhydration vs. Dehydration

Euhydration means you’re in fluid balance: not too much, not too little.

Dehydration is a state of too little water, often caused by fluid loss (sweating, illness, heat) or not drinking enough.

You can also be hypohydrated—chronically low in water without realizing it. This can happen even when you don’t feel thirsty, especially in older adults or during mental stress (Lu et al., 2023; Tobias et al., 2022).

Even small shifts in water balance can impact:

Cognition (focus, memory, decision-making)
Emotional regulation (mood, fatigue, irritability)
Physical performance (strength, endurance, recovery)
(Wittbrodt & Millard-Stafford, 2018; Adan, 2012)

Why It Matters to Health and Longevity

Emerging studies show that long-term underhydration is linked to:

Faster biological aging
Higher risks of chronic diseases like heart failure, diabetes, and kidney disease
Higher risk of early death

The NIH-supported ARIC study, which followed over 11,000 adults for 30 years, found that people with higher serum sodium levels—a marker of low hydration—had a 39% greater risk of chronic disease and a 21% higher risk of premature death (Dmitrieva et al., 2024).

That’s why hydration isn’t just a training tip. It’s a daily practice for whole-body health and longevity.

What Happens in the Body When You’re Well Hydrated

When you’re well hydrated, your body is in balance. Your cells have enough water and electrolytes to function smoothly, your brain stays sharp, and your muscles work efficiently.

Think of hydration as the quiet engine running beneath every system — it’s easy to overlook, but everything slows down when it’s not working well.

Here’s how hydration helps your body thrive:

Mental Performance: Clarity, Focus, Memory

Water is essential to your brain’s structure and function. Your brain is made of about 75% water, and even a 1–2% drop in hydration can impair:

Short-term memory
Attention and reaction time
Mental processing speed

In one large meta-analysis, researchers found that attention and executive function are particularly sensitive to dehydration, with more pronounced effects when body mass loss exceeds 2% (Wittbrodt & Millard-Stafford, 2018).

Children, older adults, and people under stress may be even more affected.

Staying hydrated helps you think faster, stay alert, and focus longer.

Emotional Balance: Energy, Mood, Stress Response

Dehydration doesn’t just affect your body — it affects how you feel.

Studies show that even mild dehydration can lead to:

Fatigue and low energy
Irritability and mood swings
Increased perception of stress

In one review, researchers noted that hydration status impacts the brain’s neurotransmitter systems and hormonal stress response (Adan, 2012).

Dehydration activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which increases levels of cortisol — your body’s primary stress hormone. Elevated cortisol has been linked to greater feelings of anxiety, poor focus, and disrupted mood regulation. Over time, repeated spikes in cortisol from underhydration may contribute to chronic stress, burnout, and even stress-related disease (Adan, 2012).

In contrast, drinking enough water and maintaining electrolyte balance helps keep your stress system calm and responsive — not overactive. It supports emotional regulation, steadier energy, and a greater sense of resilience.

Physical Performance: Strength, Endurance, Recovery

Hydration directly affects how your muscles perform and recover. When you’re well hydrated:

Muscles stay supple and coordinated
The heart pumps blood more efficiently
Muscles maintain higher endurance and strength output
Recovery is faster and more complete

During exercise, water supports muscle function at every level — from ATP production in mitochondria to temperature regulation through sweating. Notably, muscle glycogen — your body’s primary fuel for moderate-to-high intensity activity — is tightly linked to hydration status. For every gram of glycogen stored, your muscles also store approximately 3–17 grams of water, depending on your hydration (López-Torres et al., 2023).

This systematic review and meta-analysis found:

Dehydration and heat stress significantly increase glycogen breakdown (glycogenolysis) during exercise, leading to earlier fatigue.
Rehydration after exercise improves glycogen resynthesis — a critical part of muscle recovery and future performance capacity.
Exercising in hot conditions accelerates glycogen loss, even when doing the same workout at the same intensity.

Without enough hydration, the body prioritizes restoring plasma volume over muscle repair — meaning your muscles may not fully replenish fuel stores. This can hinder recovery, strength gains, and performance on subsequent training days (López-Torres et al., 2023).

To optimize performance, hydrate consistently before, during, and after exercise — and pair hydration with carbohydrate intake post-workout to maximize glycogen and water restoration in the muscle.

Organ Health: Heart, Brain, Kidneys, Immune Function

Proper hydration supports every major organ system — from your heart to your immune defenses — and may even slow biological aging.

Heart

Water is essential for maintaining blood volume and circulation, helping your heart pump more efficiently. Dehydration leads to increased blood viscosity, which can raise blood pressure and cardiovascular strain. Long-term underhydration is associated with greater risk for hypertension, heart failure, and stroke (Dmitrieva et al., 2024; Stookey et al., 2020).

Brain

Your brain is 75% water, and hydration affects everything from neural communication to memory and focus. In a 2-year prospective study, older adults with signs of dehydration (based on serum osmolality) showed greater cognitive decline compared to those who were well hydrated — even when overall water intake looked sufficient (Nishi et al., 2023).

Kidneys

The kidneys regulate fluid and electrolyte balance, and they rely on adequate hydration to filter waste and regulate blood chemistry. Chronic underhydration increases the risk of kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and progressive kidney damage. One study found that over 65% of adults aged 51–70 in the U.S. were underhydrated — and that this was linked with higher mortality and greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome (Stookey et al., 2020).

Immune System

Hydration supports your lymphatic system, which helps circulate immune cells and remove waste. It also keeps your mucous membranes moist — a key defense in preventing infections (Johnson, 2021).

Why This Adds Up Over Time

Most people think of hydration in the short term — helping them get through a workout, stay focused at work, or avoid headaches on a hot day. But the body doesn’t forget dehydration. When you’re consistently underhydrated — even just slightly — the effects accumulate beneath the surface.

Every system that suffers in the moment — your brain, your heart, your muscles, your kidneys — must work harder to compensate. Over time, this chronic low-grade stress on your organs can lead to:

Increased inflammation
Hormonal imbalances (like elevated cortisol)
Impaired detoxification and circulation
Reduced cellular repair and regeneration

In short, dehydration speeds up wear and tear. And that’s where it stops being a minor inconvenience — and becomes a risk factor for serious chronic disease.

Dehydration and Chronic Disease Risk

Hydration status isn’t just about how you feel today — it’s a long-term predictor of your health trajectory.

Across several major studies:

People with higher sodium concentrations (≥142 mmol/L), a common marker of low hydration, had a 20% higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart failure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia (Dmitrieva et al., 2024).
Even modest dehydration was linked with biomarkers of accelerated aging, including elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose — the hallmarks of metabolic dysfunction (Dmitrieva et al., 2024).
One study found that no deaths from chronic disease occurred in a group of adults aged 51–70 who were well hydrated and had no preexisting conditions. In contrast, underhydrated individuals were up to 4 times more likely to die within 3–6 years (Stookey et al., 2020).

What This Means

Dehydration is often invisible — until it’s not.

It can quietly accelerate the aging process, impair how organs function, and tip the body towards chronic illness. It’s a low-level biological stressor that, when repeated daily, slowly compounds over time.

This is why hydration isn’t just for athletes or hot summer days. It’s one of the simplest, most affordable, and most powerful things we can do to protect our long-term health.

Unpacking Dehydration

Looking back at those long summer training runs — 12 to 20 miles in the sweltering DC heat — I was hitting my target pace. I tracked my splits obsessively. On paper, everything looked like it was going well.

But when the run was over, I often felt completely wiped out. Sometimes I struggled to sleep well, or I’d wake up feeling foggy and irritable the next day. I chalked it up to the grind — just another part of training for a fall marathon in extreme heat. But after reading the research, I realize those symptoms may not have just been from the mileage — they may have been signs of mild but consistent dehydration.

Even though I was hydrating and using electrolytes, I wasn’t doing it strategically or early enough. I wasn’t thinking about the subtle symptoms or the recovery gap I was creating for myself. I was demonstrating grit — but I might have been ignoring the signals.

And that’s the tricky part about dehydration: it doesn’t always show up as thirst. It shows up as brain fog. Mood swings. Sluggishness. Cramping. Difficulty recovering. Things we often dismiss as “just normal.”

What Are the Signs?

That’s why we need to look closer. In the next section, we’ll unpack the early and often overlooked signs of dehydration — and what they may be telling you about your brain, your body, and your overall resilience.

The Subtle Signs of Dehydration

One of the biggest hydration myths is that you’ll feel thirsty before there’s a problem. In reality, early dehydration symptoms often appear before thirst kicks in — especially in older adults, children, and people under stress (Adan, 2012).

These early signs include:

Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
Fatigue or sluggishness
Mood swings or irritability
Muscle cramps or heaviness

At just 1–2% loss of body weight from fluid, research shows measurable cognitive and physical impairments. This includes slower reaction times, decreased memory, and reduced attention span (Wittbrodt & Millard-Stafford, 2018).

In athletes, this level of fluid loss can increase perceived effort and slow recovery, even when performance doesn’t visibly decline yet.

Short-Term Consequences

As dehydration progresses, the consequences become more obvious — and more disruptive to your day or workout.

Mental Effects:

Mood drops
Focus wavers
Coordination and decision-making become more difficult

One review found that even mild dehydration can worsen mood, increase anxiety, and reduce short-term memory, especially when fluid loss exceeds 2% (Adan, 2012).

Physical Effects:

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) increases — everything feels harder
Exercise capacity drops due to reduced blood flow and higher core temperature
Recovery slows, because your muscles need water and electrolytes to replenish glycogen and repair tissues (Lopez-Torres et al., 2023)

Even small fluid deficits during a workout can delay recovery and reduce performance in the next session—especially in back-to-back training days or athletic tournaments.

Long-Term Risks of Chronic Underhydration

You don’t need to run marathons to suffer the effects of dehydration.
In fact, most people who are chronically underhydrated aren’t athletes — they’re just living modern lives.

Low fluid intake, processed foods, caffeine, age-related thirst decline, and a go-go lifestyle all add up. Over time, this low-grade dehydration quietly stresses the body — and the effects compound more than we realize.

Cognitive Decline:

Even mild underhydration can impair brain function over time. In a 2-year study of older adults, those with lower hydration levels (based on serum osmolality) showed greater declines in memory, processing speed, and executive function — even when sodium levels were technically “normal” (Nishi et al., 2023).

Cardiovascular, Kidney, and Metabolic Issues:

Chronic dehydration has been associated with:

Elevated blood pressure
Increased risk of kidney stone formation
Poorer filtration and detoxification capacity
Greater oxidative stress and inflammation
(Roumelioti et al., 2018)

Faster Aging:

A 30-year study from the NIH (ARIC study) found that adults with higher serum sodium levels — an indicator of low hydration — had:

A 21% higher risk of premature death
A 39% higher risk of developing chronic diseases like heart failure, diabetes, or lung disease
(Dmitrieva et al., 2024)

Daily Habits vs Long-term Consequences

Dehydration isn’t just a performance issue — it’s a long-term health risk.

It starts with subtle symptoms — fatigue, brain fog, irritability — that are easy to dismiss. But left unchecked, those small signs can grow into serious chronic conditions.

The good news?

This is preventable.

With consistent daily hydration habits — and learning how to recognize the early symptoms of dehydration — you can protect your brain, support your organs, and slow the aging curve.

Dehydration Symptom Checklist

Are you running low on fluids? Here are the signs to watch for:

Early Signs (Before You Feel Thirsty)

Brain fog or cloudy thinking
Low energy or fatigue
Headache
Muscle cramps or stiffness
Irritability or mood swings
Dry mouth or lips
Lightheadedness when standing
Dark yellow or reduced urine

Signs During or After Exercise

Feeling much more tired than usual
Higher effort for the same workout (higher RPE)
Slow recovery
Dizziness, nausea, or chills
Heavy limbs or tight muscles

Chronic Underhydration Clues:

Frequent constipation
Dry skin or breakouts
Sugar or salt cravings
Trouble concentrating
Joint stiffness
Kidney stones
Blood pressure issues

Pro Tip: If you’re experiencing more than 2–3 of these regularly, you may not be hydrating enough — especially if you’re active, in a hot environment, or over 60.

How Much Dehydration Is Too Much?

Just 1%–2% dehydration (by body weight) can:

Impair focus and memory

Raise your perceived effort during exercise

Lower mood and coordination

Slow muscle recovery

More than 2%? Expect a drop in performance — mentally and physically.
More than 5%? This is serious and could lead to heat exhaustion or hospitalization.

Stay ahead of dehydration by drinking consistently, eating electrolyte-rich foods, and tuning into how you feel — long before thirst sets in.

How to Manage Your Hydration Like a Pro

Turning knowledge into daily practice

Every body is different. Your hydration needs will shift depending on your age, activity level, body size, environment, and even your diet. A 25-year-old marathon runner training in the summer heat will need more fluids and electrolytes than a 60-year-old who walks daily and works in an air-conditioned office. But regardless of your lifestyle, there are core hydration principles that apply to everyone. These are the building blocks of a hydration practice that supports better focus, performance, and long-term health — no matter who you are.

Core Principles of Hydration

Hydration isn’t just something to think about during a workout or on a hot day — it’s a core lifestyle habit that supports energy, clarity, and recovery all day long. Here’s how to make it part of your routine.

Thirst Is Helpful — But Not Always Enough

Your body is designed to signal when you need fluids — but thirst can lag behind actual need, especially during exercise, with age, or in hot environments.

In older adults, for instance, the thirst response becomes blunted, increasing the risk of underhydration even when water is available (Tobias et al., 2022).

So while thirst is a good guide for most people, it’s best paired with intentional habits, especially around activity, meals, and recovery.

Hydration = Water + Electrolytes + Timing

Water alone doesn’t hydrate your cells. To move water into and out of cells properly, your body relies on electrolytes — especially sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Without them, drinking plain water can lead to imbalanced fluid distribution, or in extreme cases, hyponatremia (low blood sodium).

Hydration also depends on when you drink — before, during, and after activity, and across your day.

Hydration Needs Are Personal

Your hydration needs depend on:

Age and sex
Body size and muscle mass
Activity level and sweat rate
Climate and environment
Diet (processed foods vs. whole foods)

For example, a sedentary person in a cool office may need 2–2.5 liters/day, while an athlete in summer heat may need twice that — and more sodium to match.

Hydration Timing: Before, During, and After Activity

Here are the recommendations for hydration around exercise bouts and physical activity as per the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine and findings from Lopez-Torres et al. (2023).

Before Exercise

Drink 5–10 mL of water per kg of body weight 2–4 hours before activity.

Add electrolytes or a small salty snack if you expect to sweat heavily.

Example: A 70 kg person (154 lbs.) should drink 350–700 mL (12–24 oz) in the hours leading up to training.

During Exercise

Drink regularly every 15–20 minutes during activity, especially if it lasts more than 60 minutes or involves heat.

Include electrolytes (especially sodium) if sweating heavily to maintain performance and avoid overhydration with plain water.

After Exercise

Replenish 150% of fluid lost (use weight change or thirst as a guide) and include electrolytes and carbohydrates to restore hydration and glycogen. This helps the body recover and prepare for the next session (Lopez-Torres et al., 2023).

Example: If you lost 1 lb. during a run, drink ~24 oz over the next few hours with a salty recovery snack or drink.

Table 1: Sample Hydration Schedule for an Active Day

Time	Action
Morning	Drink 12–16 oz water upon waking (add lemon or salt if desired)
Pre-workout	12–20 oz water 1–2 hours before training
During workout	4–8 oz every 15–20 minutes (add electrolytes for longer sessions)
Post-workout	Rehydrate with 24–32 oz, plus electrolytes, carbs and protein
Meals	Sip water with meals, not chug — helps digestion
Evening	Light hydration before bed (not too much to avoid sleep disruption)

Electrolytes: What They Are and How to Get Them

You’ve probably heard of electrolytes — maybe in the context of sports drinks or recovery products — but most of us haven’t taken the time to really understand what they do. That’s part of the problem. Because when we don’t fully grasp their role, it’s easy to overlook just how vital they are. Electrolytes aren’t just for athletes or extreme conditions. They’re involved in nearly every major function of the body — from nerve impulses to muscle contraction to keeping your cells properly hydrated.

If water is the vehicle, electrolytes are the steering system.

And when they’re out of balance, so is everything else.

Let’s take a closer look at what they are, how they work, and where you can get them.

What Are Electrolytes?

Let’s go back to chemistry class — but stay with me, this will be quick.

Electrolytes are minerals — like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride — that become electrically charged when they dissolve in water. This charge allows them to conduct electricity and send signals throughout your body.

That might sound surprising, but your body runs on electricity. Every heartbeat, every muscle contraction, every nerve impulse depends on charged particles communicating across cells. Electrolytes make this possible.

Role of Electrolytes

What exactly do electrolytes do? Electrolytes help:

Send signals through your nervous system
Contract and relax your muscles, including your heart
Keep the right amount of fluid inside and outside your cells
Balance your blood’s pH level and pressure
Support energy production and move nutrients in and waste out of cells

Think of water as the delivery system and electrolytes as the navigation tools. Without electrolytes, water doesn’t know where to go. This is why plain water alone isn’t always enough — especially if you’ve been sweating, training hard, or eating a low-sodium, whole-food diet.

And because we lose electrolytes every day — through sweat, urine, breathing, and even stress — we need to regularly replace them to keep our systems in balance (Shrimanker & Bhattarai, 2023).

Table 2: The Core Electrolytes

Here’s a quick-reference guide to the electrolytes, what they do, and where to find them:

Electrolyte	What It Does	Common Food Sources
Sodium (Na⁺)	Regulates fluid outside cells, supports nerve & muscle function	Table salt, broth, olives, pickles, cheese
Potassium (K⁺)	Regulates fluid inside cells, supports heartbeat and nerve signals	Bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans
Magnesium (Mg²⁺)	Muscle relaxation, nerve function, supports energy production (ATP)	Pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, black beans, dark chocolate
Calcium (Ca²⁺)	Builds bones, supports muscle contraction and blood clotting	Dairy, tofu, leafy greens, sardines with bones
Chloride (Cl⁻)	Helps maintain fluid balance and stomach acid (digestion)	Table salt, seaweed, celery, tomatoes
Phosphate (PO₄³⁻)	Energy storage (ATP), bone health, pH buffering	Meat, dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts
Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻)	Regulates acid-base balance in the blood	Produced by the body (not typically supplemented via food)
Sources: Shrimanker & Bhattarai, 2023; Tobias et al., 2022

When Should You Use Electrolyte Supplements?

Whole foods are the best long-term source of electrolytes, but electrolyte drinks or powders can be helpful when:

You’re doing long or intense workouts (>60 min)
You’re sweating heavily (heat, humidity, saunas)
You’re following a low-carb, keto, or fasting plan
You experience frequent cramping, dizziness, or fatigue
You’re recovering from illness, vomiting, or diarrhea
You’re adjusting to travel, altitude, or high-stress situations

In these cases, electrolyte drinks can help quickly rebalance your system.

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Key Takeaway: Don’t Hydrate Without Electrolytes

Electrolytes aren’t optional — they’re essential. Whether you’re trying to think clearly, move powerfully, or recover fully, these minerals are what make hydration work. They guide water into your cells, support electrical signals in your brain and muscles, and help maintain the delicate fluid balance your body depends on.

If you want to feel sharp, steady, and strong — physically, mentally, and emotionally — you need to stay on top of your electrolyte intake.

There are two simple ways to do that:

Eat a mineral-rich diet: Include whole foods like leafy greens, avocados, nuts, seeds, fruits, and sea salt.
Supplement when needed: If you’re training hard, sweating heavily, fasting, or following a low-carb diet, an electrolyte drink like LMNT or Nuun can fill in the gaps.

The choice is yours. But the principle stays the same:

Water hydrates you. Electrolytes activate that hydration.

Daily Habits and Tracking Tools

How to stay hydrated without overthinking it

Hydration doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you understand the principles, it’s about creating a daily rhythm that works for your body, lifestyle, and goals. These simple habits will help you stay balanced and energized — without having to count every ounce.

Check In With Your Body: Simple Tracking Tools

You don’t need fancy devices to monitor hydration. Try these easy, science-backed cues:

Urine color
Pale yellow = well hydrated
Dark yellow or amber = drink more
Clear all the time = may be overhydrating

Body weight changes
Weigh yourself before and after long workouts or outdoor events.

1 lb of weight lost = ~16 oz (500 mL) of fluid lost

Energy & mental clarity
Fatigue, foggy thinking, and low motivation can be early signs of dehydration — especially if they hit midday or after exercise.

Sources: ACSM, 2007; Wittbrodt & Millard-Stafford, 2018; Tobias et al., 2022

Set a Hydration Rhythm for the Day

Building consistent hydration into your day helps prevent underhydration — and improves focus, energy, and performance throughout the day.

Table 3 – Hydration Rhythm Template

Time	Hydration Habit
Wake Up	12–16 oz water to rehydrate after sleep
Before Meals	8–12 oz water 20–30 min before eating (aids digestion)
During Meals	Sip water, but don’t chug (supports hydration + satiety)
Pre-Workout	12–20 oz water 1–2 hours before activity
During Workout	4–8 oz every 15–20 min (add electrolytes if sweating)
Post-Workout	16–24 oz, ideally with sodium and a snack
Evening	Light sip 1–2 hours before bed — not too much

A Final Note from the Trail

If I could go back to those hot summer marathon training runs in DC, I’d do a few things differently. I wouldn’t just count miles — I’d track hydration too. I’d weigh myself before and after runs, not out of vanity, but to understand how much fluid I was really losing. I’d pay closer attention to the fatigue, fogginess, and restless nights, not as training side effects, but as red flags of dehydration. And most importantly, I’d work harder to build a rhythm — drinking consistently throughout the day and including electrolytes before and after every run, not just when I remembered.

Now, I know better. And now you do too.

Hydration isn’t about perfection — it’s about paying attention.

It’s a daily habit. A rhythm.

A practice that supports how you feel, perform, and recover — every single day.

Hydration isn’t about perfection — it’s about paying attention.

Mindset, Motivation & Habit Formation

How to make hydration a lifestyle, not just a checklist

I’ll admit it: during my marathon training, I knew hydration was “important,” but I didn’t really understand it. I thought I was doing enough — drinking water, occasionally tossing in an electrolyte packet — but I didn’t recognize the signs of dehydration in real time. The brain fog? I blamed it on skipping coffee. The fatigue and irritability? I figured that was just part of training in the heat. I didn’t yet see that hydration wasn’t just a background task — it was a performance multiplier and a recovery essential.

Like most people, I ran into the same common barriers: forgetting to drink, not feeling thirsty, and underestimating how much fluid I was actually losing. That’s why this next section is so important. It’s not about perfection — it’s about finding practical, realistic habits that fit your life and make hydration something you do automatically, not something you have to constantly remember.

Let’s turn awareness into action — and build a hydration practice that lasts.

Common Barriers to Hydration (And How to Overcome Them)

Everyone has different reasons for not drinking enough water. Here’s how to turn the most common excuses into easy wins:

“I forget to drink” → Use habit stacking

Pair water with routines you already do:

Wake up → drink water
Brew coffee → drink water
Start a workout → sip water
Eat a meal → finish with water

Set reminders or place water bottles in visible spots.

“I hate the taste of water” → Add flavor naturally

Try infusing water with lemon, cucumber, berries, mint, or citrus slices.

Sparkling water or herbal tea can also count toward hydration.

Add an electrolyte powder like LMNT or Nu un for variety and mineral support.

“I’m not thirsty” → Sip strategically

Use a hydration rhythm to guide your intake.

In hot weather, during exercise, or with age, your thirst response may decline.

Let urine color, energy, and sweat levels help guide you.

Build Your Personalized Hydration Plan

Everyone’s hydration needs are different. A personalized approach will help you feel better, move better, and recover faster — without overthinking it.

Step 1: Determine Your Baseline

A good starting point for daily fluid intake is:

30–40 mL of water per kg of body weight, or
0.5–1.0 oz per pound of body weight

This range can vary based on activity level, sweat loss, environment, and diet.

Example 1: 200 lb person (very active)

Trains 5 days per week with moderate to heavy sweat loss.

Baseline hydration:
200 lbs × 0.75 oz = 150 oz/day
(~4.4 liters or ~18 cups)

Plus additional fluid during training:
Add ~16–32 oz during/post-exercise depending on sweat rate
→ Target: ~160–180 oz per day total

This person will benefit from using electrolyte drinks, especially around workouts, to help replenish sodium and support energy and recovery.

Example 2: 200 lb person (moderately active)

Walks 30 minutes a day, works indoors, light sweating.

Baseline hydration:
200 lbs × 0.6 oz = 120 oz/day
(~3.5 liters or ~15 cups)

May not need electrolyte drinks daily, but should prioritize water-rich meals, steady water intake, and salt to taste.

Step 2: Track Your Intake — with a Simple Log

Create a hydration log using a notes app on your phone or a paper-bound journal. For the next 3 days, jot down:

How much water you drink (estimate in ounces or cups)
Any electrolyte drinks, teas, or broths
Water-rich foods (e.g., melons, leafy greens, cucumbers)
How you feel: energy, focus, mood, digestion, recovery

If you’re training hard or seeking performance gains, consider tracking for 2-3 full weeks to notice patterns and progress.

Step 3: Adjust and Refine

Use your log to guide small, strategic changes:

Tired, thirsty, or foggy? Increase water and add electrolytes.
Urine dark or low volume? Add water-rich snacks or hydrate more consistently.
Clear urine too often? You may be overhydrating — scale back slightly or include a pinch of salt or electrolyte support.

Hydration is a daily practice, not a perfect formula. Tune in. Adjust. Repeat.

Conclusion: Hydration Is a Practice – and a Lifelong Advantage

Throughout this article, you’ve heard about my experience training for the Marine Corps Marathon — running in the peak heat of DC summers, pushing through 12- to 20-mile sessions in the afternoon sun. I was committed. I was diligent. I even used electrolytes and paid attention to my hydration — or so I thought.

But through the process of researching and writing this piece, I’ve realized something: hydration isn’t something you check off a list.

It’s a skill.

A practice.

One that I didn’t fully understand back then.

I now recognize that many of the signals my body was sending — the fatigue, brain fog, slow recovery — weren’t just side effects of hard training. They were signs that I was underhydrated, even when I thought I was doing enough.

If I could go back, I’d do things differently — and here’s what I’d change:

Adjust for the heat: I’d rearrange my schedule to avoid running in the afternoons during the summer, even if it meant training indoors. Heat stress isn’t just uncomfortable — it compounds dehydration.
Start hydration earlier: I’d begin the day hydrating, instead of playing catch-up before my runs.
Stop fearing bathroom breaks: I used to limit fluids to avoid stopping mid-run. Now I understand that even slight dehydration increases effort, slows recovery, and reduces performance.
Prioritize recovery hydration: I’d intentionally rehydrate after runs — especially with sodium and carbohydrates — to restore glycogen and accelerate muscle repair.

Today, my goals are broader. I still care about performance, but I care even more about how I feel — daily energy, clarity, and long-term wellbeing. And hydration? It’s not just part of fitness. It’s part of living well.

If there’s one thing, I hope you take from this article, it’s this:

Hydration isn’t just about water. It’s about understanding your body and helping it to function throughout the day.

It’s about noticing the signals. And building a rhythm that supports you — one sip, one habit at a time.

Your Turn: Build Your Hydration Plan

You don’t have to run marathons to benefit from hydration. Whether you’re an athlete, a parent, a weekend warrior, or someone navigating long workdays — hydration helps you think, feel, and perform better.

Here’s your next step:

Reflect on how you hydrate now — what’s working, what’s not.
Track your intake for 3 days (or 3 weeks, if you’re training).
Build your rhythm using the tools in this article.
Adjust based on how you feel, move, and recover.

There’s no perfect formula — but there is a practice.

So, hydrate early. Hydrate routinely. Hydrate with purpose.

Because every sip is a small act of support for your brain, your muscles, your future.

Your Lifestyle Medicine Map: Finding a Path to Health

Each article on this website is like a new stop on your journey — a marked point on a larger map. On the surface, they may seem like individual tips: move more, drink water, sit less. But zoom out, and you’ll see they’re coordinates guiding you forward on a path to health and wellbeing.

So far, here’s what we’ve mapped:

Sedentary Behavior: The Hidden Trap

Inactivity isn’t just a lack of movement — it’s a biological stressor. Long periods of sitting impair circulation, disrupt metabolism, and increase the risk of chronic disease. The body was made to move, not to sit still all day.

Daily Steps: Your Built-In Compass

Walking is one of the simplest, most powerful antidotes to modern life. Regular steps help regulate blood sugar, improve cardiovascular health, and literally undo the damage of sitting — especially when taken throughout the day.

Your daily step count isn’t just a number. It’s a living signal of how much you’re moving, recovering, and staying connected to your health.

Hydration: The Fuel That Moves You

Well-hydrated muscles move better. A well-hydrated brain thinks more clearly. And a well-hydrated body feels more energized. Drinking enough water — with electrolytes — lowers fatigue, reduces effort during movement, and improves recovery.

Bonus: more hydration naturally leads to more movement, helping you interrupt long sitting sessions with active bathroom breaks or energy bursts.

Here’s the Big Idea:

These aren’t just tips. They’re tools.
They interact. They build on each other. They create momentum.

Hydration makes movement easier.
Movement helps your body use hydration better.
Steps break up sedentary time — and serve as a feedback loop for how your day is going.

You’re not just reading — you’re exploring.

Each practice is a marker on your Lifestyle Medicine map.

And the destination? A healthier, more energized you — with habits that actually work in the real world.

Keep going!

Hydration Needs & Daily Tracking Worksheet

Personal Hydration Estimator

Step 1: Calculate Baseline Needs
Enter your weight: ______ lbs

Multiply by 0.5 oz (minimum): ______ oz/day

Multiply by 0.75 oz (moderate activity): ______ oz/day

Multiply by 1.0 oz (high activity or hot weather): ______ oz/day

Step 2: Add Activity & Environment Adjustments
+16 oz for each hour of moderate-vigorous exercise: ______ +8–16 oz if you’re in hot weather, high altitude, or using saunas: ______

Estimated Daily Fluid Target: ______ oz (or ______ liters)

Daily Hydration Tracker

Time	Water (oz)	Electrolytes (Y/N)	Notes (energy, mood, urine color)
Morning
Mid-morning
Lunch
Afternoon
Pre-workout
During workout
Post-workout
Dinner
Evening

Total Water Intake: ______ oz

References

Adan, A. (2012). Cognitive performance and dehydration. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 31(2), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2012.10720011

Dmitrieva, N. I., Boehm, M., Yancey, P. H., & Enhörning, S. (2024). Long-term health outcomes associated with hydration status. Nature Reviews Nephrology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-024-00817-1

Johnson, L. A. (2021). In sickness and in health: The immunological roles of the lymphatic system. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(9), 4458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094458

López-Torres, O., Rodríguez-Longobardo, C., Escribano-Tabernero, R., & Fernández-Elías, V. E. (2023). Hydration, hyperthermia, glycogen, and recovery: Crucial factors in exercise performance—A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 15(4442). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15204442

Lu, H., Ayers, E., Patel, P., & Mattoo, T. K. (2023). Body water percentage from childhood to old age. Kidney Research and Clinical Practice, 42(3), 340–348. https://doi.org/10.23876/j.krcp.22.062

News Medical. (2024, February 27). Chronic underhydration linked to major health risks, study finds. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240227/Chronic-underhydration-linked-to-major-health-risks-study-finds.aspx

Nishi, S. K., Babio, N., Paz‑Graniel, I., et al. (2023). Water intake, hydration status and 2‑year changes in cognitive performance: A prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 21(82). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-02771-4

Roumelioti, M. E., Glew, R. H., Khitan, Z. J., Rondon-Berrios, H., Argyropoulos, C. P., Malhotra, D., Raj, D. S., Agaba, E. I., Rohrscheib, M., Murata, G. H., Shapiro, J. I., & Tzamaloukas, A. H. (2018). Fluid balance concepts in medicine: Principles and practice. World Journal of Nephrology, 7(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.5527/wjn.v7.i1.1

Shrimanker, I., & Bhattarai, S. (2023). Electrolytes. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/

Stookey, J. D., Kavouras, S. A., Suh, H., & Lang, F. (2020). Underhydration is associated with obesity, chronic diseases, and death within 3 to 6 years in the U.S. population aged 51–70 years. Nutrients, 12(4), 905. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040905

Tobias, A., Ballard, B. D., & Mohiuddin, S. (2022). Physiology, water balance. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541059/

Wittbrodt, M. T., & Millard-Stafford, M. (2018). Dehydration impairs cognitive performance: A meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50(11), 2360–2368. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001682