Khaberni - A new study has revealed that individuals who maintain high physical fitness may be better prepared to handle the negative effects of dehydration.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Riverside in the United States, and the results were published in the journal Physiology and Behavior on October 21, and covered by the website EurekAlert.
Professor Theodore Garland, who led the research team, said, "Physical fitness has many known benefits, but this research highlights a benefit that people may not have considered."
He added, "Having good physical fitness may help the body and brain better deal with the challenges of dehydration."
The study began as an exploration of how dehydration affects voluntary activity and examined how 24-hour water deprivation affects voluntary running behavior on a wheel and body mass in experimental mice.
The study used high-running breeds of mice, which run about 3 times more than standard control mice.
Garland said, "These high-running mice have been selectively bred for more than 30 years. They consistently show a strong drive to run, even with restricted food or sleep deprivation. They are akin to endurance athletes in the world of mice."
Replacing One Reward with Another
The high-running mice and control group mice of both genders ran on wheels for 6 days. On the seventh day, the researchers removed water from half of the mice for 24 hours, while the other mice had free access to water.
Garland said, "What we found was surprising: the high-running mice ran longer distances and at faster speeds when they did not have access to water, and in some cases, for longer periods."
Despite losing body weight—a sign of dehydration—their activity levels increased.
Dehydration is associated with fatigue and decreased activity, but it was remarkable to see these mice increase their running in that state.
The team suggests a possible explanation for this, known as the reward replacement phenomenon. In this theory, the mice replace the reward they typically get from drinking water with the reward they obtain from running.
He said, "With rising global temperatures and decreasing water availability, dehydration is becoming a more common challenge. Our data suggest that more physically fit individuals may be better able to maintain performance, even with mild dehydration."
Garland cautions that the study should not be interpreted as a recommendation to restrict water intake.
