Hydration plays a much more important part of Musculo-skeletal recovery than people realize. Did you know…
Hydration speeds up soft tissue injuries
When we suffer a soft tissue injury such as a muscular tear, tendon strain or ligament sprain, our body immediately initiates cellular processes such as protein synthesis and collagen formation to repair the damaged tissue. These processes require an adequate fluid balance in order to transport nutrients, key cells and remove metabolic waste, all of which are directly impacted by how hydrated we are.
Cartilage and Intervertebral Discs are 70-80% water
That’s right, the tissues that are constantly providing your joints with support and shock absorption require you to be hydrated to work effectively. Dehydration increases the chances of injuries such as meniscal injury or disk herniation and in cases of chronic dehydration can lead to early degenerative changes within the spine.
Hydration helps reduce inflammation
Adequate hydration can help to remove inflammatory products from the tissues by assisting in circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Hydration has an impact on pain
Hydration is strongly linked to the body’s pain perception and fatigue. Dehydration can increase the perception of pain, increase headaches/fatigue and reduce cognitive focus which is important when regulating ourselves through recovery.
The key message is to ensure that you are consuming plenty of fluids (recommendation 2 litres of fluid/water) spread throughout the day to maintain full function and to help stick to your rehab goals.