MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- With local temperatures reaching upwards of 113 degrees Fahrenheit and rising, Miramar Marines aren’t taking a break from their physical training schedules, leaving local physicians on the look-out for an increase in heat injuries.

Dehydration is defined as a lack of adequate fluid amounts in the body. At boot camp, Marines learn that hydration is necessary for proper bodily functions, but how to stay hydrated is a constant conundrum.

“Urine output is one of the main things we use in the medical field to determine hydration levels,” said Navy Lt. Todd J. Mondzelewski, flight surgeon for Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “If you are (urinating) regularly, that means you are hydrated. If you are going less often, that is a sign of dehydration.”

Sugars and caffeine are diuretics that cause the body to urinate more than necessary, increasing fluid loss and the likeliness of dehydration. Though sodas have both sugar and caffeine, they do provide a small amount of fluid into the system.

Alcohol, on the other hand, is a stronger diuretic than sugar and caffeine and can cause a more severe dehydration because it provides the body less of the essential nutrients than the average soda or coffee. After the alcohol has been digested and expelled from the body, it will take more than the same amount of fluid for the body to recover and re-hydrate, according to Mondzelewski.

It takes the body one-and-a-half to two hours to digest one alcoholic drink, he said. If a Marine drinks a 6-pack of beer at night, one each hour until 1 a.m., he will not only expel the alcohol but  he will be dehydrated when he goes on a run late the next morning and may cause serious injury to himself. The body may be able to digest the alcohol, explained Mondzelewski, but it has not had the adequate supply of nutrients reinstated into the blood to stabilize the system and re-hydrate the blood cells.

The best way to re-hydrate is to drink plenty of water. Though it is possible to over-hydrate, resulting in hyponatremia, it is very uncommon and is not usually concern, Mondzelewski added.
But too much water does dilute the chemistry of the blood, which is why professionals suggest drinking sports drinks when your workout takes longer than one hour. Sports drink such as Gatorade and PowerAde provide electrolytes essential to the functioning of blood cells. A drink made of 50 percent water and 50 percent sports drink make a perfect isotonic kind of solution to achieve a good hydrated status, according to Mondzelewski.

He also said that Marines who use dietary supplements  may be at more of a risk for hydration problems if they are not drinking enough water with their powders or pills.

“If you are choosing to use a supplement, it takes a lot of water just to metabolize them,” he said. “That’s aside from the water that the body naturally needs.”

Mondzelewski encourages patients to cut back on supplement use during extreme weather conditions.

Marines are taught that proper hydration and diet are the best ways to prevent heat injuries but sometimes the weather can take a larger toll on the body.

“Even someone who is following their daily healthy lifestyle, eating the right things and working out regularly, is at risk for dehydration,” he said. “Sometimes those healthy habits just aren’t adequate during 95-degree, black-flag conditions.”

Common signs of dehydration include pale, ashen skin, nausea, headaches, and disorientation. Anyone with those symptoms should be taken to a cool, shaded area, given plenty of water and the emergency response team should be called.

Mondzelewski has some simple solutions to stay hydrated. Have something in your hand all day long,” he warned. “Slow sips all day long are the best way to stay hydrated. If you are actually really thirsty, it’s already too late. You are well on your way to the dehydrated status.”