Dehydration is a bad thing. It can lead to decreased blood pressure, dizziness and if very severe, death. Water, after all, makes up two-thirds of the human body and is essential for digestion, lubricating joints and other functions.
Mild dehydration is easily treated but severe dehydration is extremely dire and can even lead to death. It is quite well-known and accepted that to treat, prevent and even cure dehydration, you drink water. Right?
Well, not according to the European Union, or EU, who has banned the legality of the claim that water prevents dehydration. Yes, those morons did that.
Two German professors petitioned the European Commission if the claim that water prevents dehydration was admissible on water labels. Simple request, easy pass, right?
Nope.
A meeting of 21 scientists in Parma, Italy, concluded that reduced water content in the body was a symptom of dehydration and not something that drinking water could subsequently control. So this means that they feel water is not directly correlated with dehydration. But, even as a lay-person and not a scientist, isn't not having water the cause of dehydration, not the other way around as they claim?
The sad thing is that this ruling took three years to make. The money spent on this is ludicrous and a feather in the hat for those that favored the UK leaving the EU. If they are this silly when it comed to claims on water and not to mention it took three years to make this ludicrous ruling, imagine how they are with real laws?
So why is this relevant to us?
It is just another new story that reminds us that as fitness enthusiasts, we should drink adequate water. The common recommendation is about two liters per day, or a half a gallon. Since we are active, we need to increase that due to sweat and other activities.
Hence, the recommendation of one gallon per day holds water (see what I did there?). Without adequate water we will not perform well nor will we make any progress in fitness. Also, do not forget to get adequate minerals in your diet - more on that here.
And another reason why it's relevant?
We cannot always listen to authorities. They have it wrong on recommended protein intake for athletes, they have it wrong on salt recommendations, and shall I even mention the food pyramid? Just because a ?ruling entity? says something, that does not make it gospel. Use common sense and do your own research.
And for the record, I feel water DOES prevent dehydration, and that's not a game!