Feeling Drained
Women's Health South Africa|November 2017

Thirsty as a Western Cape dam? You’re likely also zapped of mental clarity and energy. Nail your hydration levels to unlock a world of gains

Berne Broudy And Alice Ellis
Feeling Drained

In that great big list entitled “Things that suck a little bit more for women than they do for men” there is – somewhere between having children and hair removal – a surprise entry. It turns out that being the possessor of an extra X chromosome also complicates matters when it comes to hydration. We not only feel the effects – like headaches, flagging energy levels and irritability – more than men do (we always knew our hangovers were worse), but research shows that even when women drink fluids and stick to the standard recommendations, it still may not be enough to combat your anatomical drought. To give you an idea of the gravity of it all, know this: if you’re dehydrated by just four percent, your performance at the gym suffers by 20 to 30 percent, according to Clinics in Sports Medicine. Yep, having a vagina is thirsty work.

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