By Matt Prigge
Since you were a young child, you have heard how imperative consuming an adequate amount of water throughout the day is. Whether it be for sports, exercise, or simply because Mother Nature turned up the thermostat, water is vital component to your day. As much as people preach how vital water is, they never exactly say why. The next few paragraphs will give you the skinny on why water is important, the symptoms of dehydration, and recommendations for how much water you should be consuming throughout the day.
The human body is made up of 50-70% of water, with that said, I just could just stop writing, but instead, let’s look into the importance of water [1]. As pointed out by the Mayoclinic, water: regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, flushes waste from the kidneys and liver, helps prevent constipation, helps to protect tissues and vital organs, and carries nutrients and oxygen to cells [2]. If that doesn’t have you headed to the water cooler, I don’t know what will.
Neglecting to refuel your tank with the H2O can lead to dehydration which can have some serious symptoms. Fainting, dizziness, confusion, weakness, inability to sweat, palpitations, and a swollen tongue are not only some of the effects of listening to Nicki Minaj, but the symptoms of dehydration, too[3].
Whenever recommendations for water appear, the conventional line of “drink 8 glasses of water” is always is brought. To be frank, that is a bunch of rubbish. There are many factors that need to be taken into account. For instance, your diet, how much you have been exercising, how hot it is outside, and pregnancy are key factors that need to be taken into account [1]. A more accurate rule of thumb is to listen to your body. Excessive thirst is a sign of dehydration, and is a sign that you need to start drinking water. Try and develop habits when it comes to drinking water. For example, when you wake up, immediately drink 20-30 ounces of water. So, if you are thirsty…start crushing water. When you complete a workout…start crushing water. After a long night out on the town…start crushing water.
All in all, water is the most important thing you will put into your body on a daily basis. It is a necessity that you keep your body fueled up, healthy and happy.
[1] http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Water_a_vital_nutrient?open
[2] http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/functions-of-water-in-the-body/img-20005799
[3] http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults
Buddy Broncho
Buddy Broncho made his first appearance in UCO's own newspaper The Vista. It was the October 3, 1932, issue where a Broncho appears wearing a UCO football uniform. He has appeared numerous times throughout the years from local Edmond papers in the 60's to state-wide papers in the 80's. The commissioning of the first ever live mascot appears in UCO's 1979 Bronze Book where Buddy Broncho made his first public appearance at Homecoming. Since that time, Buddy has been a fixture at UCO events and in the hearts of UCO students.