WATER & LEARNING

 Optimal Hydration
by Eric Jensen

Let’s not go overboard. Putting a bottle of water on every kid’s desk will not produce high test scores. Here is the straight story about water.

Having said that, there’s a difference between living, surviving and OPTIMAL HYDRATION LEVELS for learning. The studies usually only address survival.

The brain is about 80% water and it is sensitive to bodily fluid levels. When the levels drop, we get stressed and that "survival response" may impair learning. The blood is also highly sensitive to Ph variances. Too much acid or alkaline is bad. Neuronal transmission is highly sensitive to cell polarity-and that’s influenced by water. Fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee & tea are all diuretics--they fail to provide neutral Ph water to the system because the sugars bind to the water and it’s treated as food by the brain. You get about 50% of the water value of them, so you’d have to drink way more. Better to drink just pure water.

When the first stage of dehydration occurs, we are not aware of it. Typically we have an adrenal response that’s reoriented to "consumatory behavior" which means a restless, active state of scattered attention. For some teachers this creates a discipline problem. Students will then have a hyper-response to novelty and other stressors.

During the second stage of dehydration we become aware of it, but we are often too slowed down to take action on it. We get lethargic and slow minded. Within 5 minutes of consuming water, there is a marked decline in corticoids & ACTH. When exposed to novelty, the stress response is lower when water is available. Available drinking water reduces the body’s physiological response to adverse situations. However the single most important determinant to reducing this stress response is control.

Being able to get water is almost as important (but not as important!) as drinking it when it comes to stress reduction. Adults should drink about a half gallon/day (4-6 glasses about 8-10oz. each) and non-athletic students about 40 oz. under non heat-stress conditions. If you already drink other driks, that amount is lessened. Students should have free access to pure, clean water.

References on the negative role of dehydration on cognition:

• Decavel, C. and Curras, C. (1997) Increased expression of the N-Methyl-D aspartate receptor subunit, NR1, in immunohistochemically identified magnocellular hypothalamic neurons during dehydration. Neuroscience, Vol. 78, No. 1, pgs. 191-202.
• Gopinathan, P.M. et al. (1998) Role of dehydration in Heat Stress-Induced Variations in Mental Performance. Archives of Environmental Health. Jan./Feb. Vol 43, No. 1. pgs. 15-17.
• Hannaford, C. (1995) Smart Moves. Great Ocean Publishing. Arlington, VA. , pgs 140-144
• Kleiner, S. (1999) Water: An essential but overlooked nutrient. Journal of the American Dietetic Assn. Feb. Vol. 99, No. 2, pgs. 200-206.
• Lafarga, M. et al. (1992) Osmotic stimulation induces changes in the expression of B-adrenergic receptors and nuclear volume of astrocytes in supraoptic nucleus of the rat. Brain Research. 25307: 588 pgs. 311-316.
• Levine, S & Coe, C (1989) "Endocrine Regulation" in Psychosomatic Medicine edited by Stanley Cheren
• Rogers, PJ et al.(2001) A drink of water can improve or impair mental performance depending on small differences in thirst. Appetite, Vol.36 pg.57-58.

 

About Eric Jensen
Eric Jensen is a researcher, international conference speaker, corporate trainer, former classroom teacher and university professor. Jensen was the co-founder of SuperCamp, founder of turning Point and a world leader in accelerated, brain-based learning, training and long-lasting motivation.