First signs of dehydration

You probably know that you should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, but do you know how to spot the first signs of dehydration? Here’s how to pick up on the most common dehydration signs and prevent your symptoms from getting worse.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in. Losing too much water means your body doesn't have enough fluids to perform its normal functions. If you don't replace these lost fluids, you may get dehydrated.

What are the first signs of dehydration?

The first signs of dehydration include:

Headache
Feeling extremely thirsty
Strong-smelling urine
Feeling tired

If you notice any of these first signs, they could be indicative of dehydration and it’s important to boost your fluid intake immediately by drinking water.

What are the risk factors for dehydration?

You are at risk of getting dehydrated if you don’t drink enough water every day. Australian guidelines recommend men drink 10 cups of fluid a day and women drink eight cups. One cup is around 250ml.

While you can get fluids from a range of drinks, including tea, coffee, juice and soft drinks, water is the healthiest choice – so always opt for water if possible.

You are also at risk of dehydration if you do activities that cause you to get too hot or lose too much fluid, like:

sweating excessively during a workout – if you lose too much sweat during a workout and don’t replace it with water, you may get dehydrated
spending too much time in the sun – this can cause your body to overheat, meaning you lose too much fluid and become dehydrated

How can you prevent getting dehydrated?

Prevention is the best approach to managing dehydration. To avoid getting dehydrated, follow these tips:

Drink water as soon as you notice any of the common dehydration symptoms
Drink throughout the day, so you don’t have to drink large amounts in one go
Drink more if you’re doing an activity like exercise where you may become dehydrated easily
Consider enhancing your water with electrolytes

Berocca Sport is a formulated supplementary sports food to be consumed in conjunction with a nutritious diet and appropriate physical training or exercise program. Not a sole source of nutrition.