0754 – Why ‘Thirst’ Is Unreliable

2023.01.24 – 0754 – Why ‘Thirst’ Is Unreliable

Your unreliable dehydration warning system

When you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. That’s because whereas the body treats food with a ‘store now - use later policy’, excess fluid will simply be excreted. You’ll just pee.

So, the ‘thirst mechanism’ is unreliable. To stop feeling thirsty (and so, dehydrated), and because your thirst is satiated before complete hydration is achieved, regular sipping is the common-sense approach.

Set a daily fluid-intake goal, either by using a marked-up water bottle[1], or a hydration-tracking app.

A good maxim is “If your pee’s all white, you’ll sound all right”, but bear in mind that some food and drinks can change the colour of your urine (such as fizzy vitamin drinks).

On the day of a studio session

Get hydrated and stay hydrated.

Make sure that the day before a lengthy session you have drunk plenty of water so your whole system is hydrated. Then keep sipping plenty of it during the recording, to keep yourself hydrated. This this will also give you a cause to pause and rest your voice for a moment.

If you are taking water into a studio with you, put it in a pop-close type sports bottle and put it on the floor. Then if it is knocked it won’t spill on the equipment.

[1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Marked-Water-Bottle/s?k=Time+Marked+Water+Bottle

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