Check out what physiotherapist, Alice Tarnawski has to say about the importance of staying hydrated;

We've all been told to 'drink more water' and we all know that it's important to stay hydrated, but we don't always recognise exactly why... Here are a few of the awesome benefits of hydration and hopefully a little incentive to keep up your fluid intake this summer!

Without an abundance of this important molecule we can start to feel lethargic and achey, which might mean we're more likely to reach for that extra square of chocolate or jellybean and can't perform to our maximum potential at work, in the gym or on the sports field. 

Water makes up around 76% of our muscle mass and provides flexibility and elasticity to our tissues. Low-grade chronic dehydration can affect protein structure, metabolism and reduce muscle quality and function. In studies of dehydrated athletes, scientists found that these athletes had increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and in turn a reduced count of their muscle building hormones... If you're someone who is training to get stronger, or rehabilitating an injury it is especially important to stay hydrated to keep excessive amounts of cortisol at bay! If you have tight or painful muscles staying hydrated will facilitate faster recovery and ensure better results from your exercise, stretching and therapy.

Mild to moderate levels of dehydration can make you irritable, cause headaches, reduce your capacity for short-term memory and make you feel less alert. Good news is that by rehydrating you can make yourself more alert, treat your headache and improve your cognition! (Popkin, D'anci, Rosenberg 2010). 

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