How to Stop the Body's Water Loss

The average person loses two pints of water a day through perspiration and breathing. Throw in heavy activity such as exercise, yard work or manual labor, and water loss can quicken. Losing just 1 qt. of water can harm your mental and physical performance. Factors that boost water loss include temperature, humidity, physical activity and even age and health status. The very young, the old and the sick are prone to higher-than-average water loss. Several measures can help you retain the water your body needs to function properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Long-sleeved shirts (cotton, linen or synthetic fabrics)
  • Long pants (cotton, linen or synthetic fabrics)
  • Windbreaker
  • Sunblock
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Antidiuretic hormone
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Instructions

  1. Stopping the Body's Water Loss

    • 1

      Wear more clothing. When humidity drops, loose clothing creates a pocket of moist air that protects the body from heightened sweating and water loss. Even in hot weather, cover arms and legs with loose, light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Wear cottons and linens in hot weather, and Lycra, nylon or polyester in cooler temperatures. Windbreakers keep brisk breezes from dehydrating your body.

    • 2

      Apply sunblock to exposed skin, including the hands, face and neck. Sunburns compromise skin's ability to conserve the body's water.

    • 3

      Eat less. The more you eat, especially meat, the more water your body needs to digest your food. Eat a lighter meal if you know you need to retain water for a sporting event or outside labor. Fruits and vegetables are the exception, which add more water to your body than they require for digestion.

    • 4

      Avoid beverages with diuretics, which encourage urination. Drinks to skip include coffee and alcohol. And, though some campers take salt pills to retain water, the tablets actually draw water out of muscles and into the stomach.

    • 5

      Take antidiuretic hormones, which work with your kidneys to help your body retain water. The most common antidiuretic hormone is called arginine vasopressin. Brand names include Pitressin and Pressyn.

    • 6

      Change your exercise or outdoors regimen based on the weather and time of day. Avoid time outside in the middle of a hot day. Take your activities inside on windy, cold or humid days. Pace yourself if you must be outside. Go slowly, and monitor yourself and the people around you for symptoms of heat stroke or dehydration, including muscle cramps, heat rash, slurred speech, delirium and exhaustion.

    • 7

      Drink 8 to 12 oz. of water before running or other intense exercise, and 4 oz. every 10 minutes during rigorous athletic events or work activity. Drinking plenty of water maintains water levels in the body.