Hydration & Nerve Function

Water makes up more than half of your body weight, and every cell, tissue and organ utilizes water to function properly. Drinking plenty of water daily helps you stay hydrated and maintain fluid balance inside your body. But you also need charged particles called electrolytes to regulate your fluid volume and help manage specific processes, including muscle and nerve functions.

About Nerve Cells

The central nervous system is a complex regulatory network that includes the spinal cord and brain. It controls and transmits signals throughout your body by way of billions of nerve cell connections, or neurons. The neurons use electrolytes, or electrically charged ion impulses, and neurotransmitters, or chemical messenger systems, to send signals from cell to cell until the signals reach the intended area of your brain. Neuron signaling regulates sensory, motor and cognitive functions. Without a fully functioning nervous system and nerve cells, your body would not move, feel, behave or think. Daily hydration and food nutrients nourish the electrical and chemical signaling system.

Electrolytes and Nerve Functions

Sodium chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate are electrically charged minerals that maintain nerve functions. Your kidneys play a role in the process of fluid balance by making sure the electrolytes you ingest are present in adequate concentrations in your blood. If too many electrolytes are in the bloodstream, the kidneys remove and excrete them into the urine. Conversely, fluid imbalance and dehydration can result from poor dietary intake of electrolyte-containing foods and beverages. Electrolyte deficiency may cause fatigue, muscle weakness and numbness or paralysis in the extremities.

Electrolyte Balance

Electrolyte balance occurs by eating a well-balanced diet of foods that include the electrolyte minerals. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and lean meats or fish can provide the trace amounts of electrolytes you need in your diet. Beverages like fruit juice, sports drinks and filtered water have trace amounts of electrolytes. Your body constantly loses and replaces electrolytes. The rate of electrolyte loss depends on your activity level, exposure to high temperatures and urination frequency.

Staying Hydrated

The average healthy adult can drink 8 to 9 cups of water a day to stay hydrated. According to MayoClinic.com, if you exercise, you need to drink extra water to compensate for fluid loss in sweat. Additionally, if you are exposed to hot or humid weather conditions that induce sweat, you need to hydrate more to compensate for fluids lost. Consult your physician for exact recommendations based on your health and activity level to prevent overhydration.