UW Associate Professor’s Hydration Research Featured in Prominent Fitness Magazine

For most of us, taking a drink of water when we’re thirsty may seem like an afterthought. However, recently published research by a University of Wyoming faculty member indicates that adequate water intake and one’s “hydration status” are not equally experienced by the public in general and lacking adequate hydration can have adverse effects on our health and especially that of certain populations.

Evan Johnson, an associate professor in the Division of Kinesiology and Health in the College of Health Sciences, along with two other academic researchers in hydration studies, had his manuscript, titled “Is mild dehydration a risk for progression of childhood chronic kidney disease?,” published in Pediatric Nephrology, the journal of the International Pediatric Nephrology Association.

Following the manuscript’s publication, additional insights related to adult water intake provided by Johnson were quoted in “The Thirst Trap,” the featured article in the April edition of Men’s Health magazine.

Johnson’s research interests include examining the physiological mechanisms and overall health benefits related to optimal hydration, physical activity and heat exposure.

Johnson’s published research looked specifically at children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their having, in some cases, an inherent vulnerability to dehydration. Very young children and infants with CKD -- who cannot access water freely on their own -- may face certain risk factors and consequences when experiencing mild dehydration and underhydration with CKD. The research also examined evidence for the risk of CKD progression in these children.

“I am excited to be included with my co-authors on this paper because it highlights the serious health risks that can be due to underhydration/dehydration, especially within some of the most vulnerable populations,” Johnson says. “Within the medical community, there is a double-edged sword related to the success of our physiology which, in large part, maintains water balance and homeostasis through regulation of what and how quickly our kidneys filter our blood. 

“The positive is that the additional stress placed on our kidneys when fluid intake is too low acutely, in most cases, produces minimal health effects,” Johnson continues. “On the other lesser-known hand, with persistent stress to the kidney, potentially life-threatening conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, are more likely to occur. My hope with this publication is that practitioners become more aware and understanding of the repercussions of inadequate hydration in children.”

While published research on dehydration and underhydration in children with CKD is limited, Johnson’s research notes that it is biologically plausible that these conditions could affect CKD progression. However, the question begs asking: Can other vulnerable populations be affected by short- and long-term exposure to dehydration and even overhydration occurrences?

That’s where the publishers of Men’s Health magazine took note of Johnson’s hydration research.

“The Thirst Trap” article looked not only at basic human hydration needs, but also at the possible hazards of the misuse of drinking water, such as water fasting, overconsumption and the potential for even life-threatening conditions resulting from such misuse.

“Drinking too much water is not safe and can result in serious complications, such as seizures, brain swelling and even death,” cited a source in the article.

Another source pointed out that a large portion of the population is experiencing frequent and sometimes long-term underhydration that can have negative health effects, while others have taken to overhydrating, bringing on the same level of health risks.

Where is the balance in water consumption?

Men’s Health magazine points to the National Academy of Sciences’ official guidelines on hydration, which recommend 3.7 liters of fluid per day for men and 2.7 liters of fluid per day for women. This amounts to 127 ounces, or just under a gallon for men, and 90 ounces for women, but not consumed all at once.

Johnson puts an even finer point to this, adding, “The exception to this is the elderly, whose feedback mechanisms regulating total body water homeostasis are more likely to be disrupted and could probably benefit from an extra glass or two of water each day.”

If a person is regularly undertaking intense, multihour bouts of training or endurance sports, Johnson recommends a hydration plan. That way, the individual won’t be dehydrated or overdrink.

Adding to the Men’s Health article, Johnson explains the importance of an athlete implementing a hydration plan.

The first step is for a person to weigh themself before an intense, hourlong session of exercise or similar activity. During the workout, that individual would track the volume of water they drink, he says.

After the workout, the person would weigh themself to calculate weight loss, or a negative value, from the workout. Then, if fluid was consumed during the workout, the person would subtract the weight of the beverage from weight loss results in the total sweat loss, a more negative value, Johnson explains. Reconverting the weight lost into water volume would give the volume of fluid lost. Dividing that volume over the duration of the exercise session provides the rate of body water loss, Johnson says.

That person then would know how much they sweat in an hour in those conditions and how much water they would need to drink to replace that water loss and stay hydrated. A hydration plan is especially useful during long races, such as marathons, Johnson says.

Other individuals who could benefit from a hydration plan are those who can’t drink or urinate regularly during their jobs, such as nurses, teachers and firefighters.

“My absolute favorite quotation related to my field is from Hippocrates, who is thought to have said, ‘If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health,’” Johnson says. “I’m excited to continue my research to further define the details of what too little or too much is and the context related to these recommendations.”

To view the Men’s Health magazine article, go to www.menshealth.com/health/a60249105/how-much-water-to-drink-water-obsession/.

About the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences

UW’s College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.