Staying Hydrated During Winter Months

First posted on 01-19-2011

It is hard to imagine going into heat exhaustion when you can see your frozen breath as you exhale during a long winter workday. However, this thought can become a reality if proper steps are not taken to stay hydrated.

“It only takes a five percent loss in body water to go into heat exhaustion and that can happen really easily if we’re out perspiring a lot, working in the winter months when we’re bundled up and perspiring more than we may realize,” said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension adult nutrition specialist.

Six cups to eight cups of fluid intake per day is recommended, but an additional two cups to three cups are required for more active days. People tend to remember and want to drink more when it is hot outside when perspiration is more physically obvious.

“People become dehydrated when their fluid intake is less than their output,” Hermann said. “People may not drink as much during the winter months, so their intake tends to go down.”

Signs of heat exhaustion include headaches, dizziness, confusion and impaired physical performance. Urine should be a light straw color, said Hermann, who suggested weighing yourself before and after a day of hard work to monitor against heat exhaustion.

“It takes about two cups of fluid for every pound you may lose in perspiration,” Hermann said. “Drinking plain cool water is the best because it’s absorbed the most rapidly.”

Age can also make a difference.

“As we get older, we tend to be more at risk for dehydration,” said Hermann. “As we age, our percent body water decreases so we have a lower margin of safety.”

Also, certain medications may increase water loss. While cool water is the best way to restore fluids, sports drinks with electrolytes, juices, milk and even caffeinated beverages can get the job done.