Hydration Newsletter
Why should body water % be monitored? Because most people in general do not drink enough water. A large percentage of people wait until they feel thirsty to drink water, but that’s when the body is already showing signs of mild dehydration. Since dehydration is most often caused by sweating, athletes tend to get dehydrated when training or competing. Being able to easily monitor your body water % at home, will allow you to quickly compensate when levels begin to get low.
Tanita and IRONMAN designed high performance fitness monitors to help athletes take their performance to the next level. Using the latest in health technology, the BC-558 IRONMAN and the BC-554 IRONMAN, will allow you to easily monitor your body water %. Athletes with a lower % of body fat are able to maintain higher levels of hydration than athletes with a higher % of body fat. This is because muscle mass stores more body water than fat so the body water % increases with more muscle mass.
BC-558 IRONMAN Segmental, Body Composition Monitor
BC-554 IRONMAN Body Composition Monitor
When Tanita did studies for IRONMAN in Louisville, KY triathlon they found a distinct connection between hydration and performance level. They used body composition scales at the athlete check-in stations to measure the approximate hydration levels for each athlete as well as their sex, age and height.
“Drinking water is essential to a healthy lifestyle.”
- Stephen Curry
The results were astounding! The athletes with the lower hydration levels, had a lower success rate or ability to complete the triathlon, and athletes with higher hydration levels, had a higher success rate (*1). The side effects of being dehydrated could have played a crucial role as to why the athletes with lower hydration levels did not do as well in a triathlon. According to the Mayo Clinic symptoms associated with Hypothermia (loss of blood minerals due to dehydration) include:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Confusion
• Lethargy
• Fatigue
• Appetite Loss
• Restlessness and irritability
Any mixture of these symptoms could make it difficult for someone to finish the triathlon.
The technology in our consumer scales is based on the same advanced technology found in our professional scales. Our professional scales are used by doctors, medical centers, professional athletic teams, fitness clubs and personal trainers. Tanita’s Medical Advisory Board continues to research the body and its effect on health and disease. This research helps with the enhancements found in Tanita’s products.
Tanita also manufactures the TBF-300WA-Plus which is a professional scale, used by Wrestling Professionals from high school to collegiate athletes, to measure body composition. The measurements include body water, body fat, body mass index, basal metabolic rate, weight, and features Wrestlers Mode, just to name a few. The Wrestlers Mode was developed to provide a more accurate reading for athletic body types. Athletes tend to be physiologically different then standard adult body types, due to muscle mass and hydration level difference. These differences would skew the body fat reading as high, when taken in the standard adult mode. This scale is trusted by the NCAA Wrestling Championships, USA Wrestling Institute, as well as countless other tournaments, programs, and organizations worldwide.
Why? Because Tanita is cleared by the FDA for their Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) technology. The BIA technology works by sending an electrical signal that passes quickly through the body. The water in hydrated muscle tissue has less resistance then when it hits fat tissue (*2). These rates of resistance are measured by the scale and used in equations to come up with the body composition readings. Tanita, and their products, are regarded by the scientific community as the gold standard in BIA technology. Tanita’s Medical Advisory Board ensures they remain at the forefront of scientific advances in their industry.
The benefits of monitoring hydration level outweigh the consequences to becoming dehydrated. Not only will you live a healthier more functional lifestyle, but you’ll also have the benefits that go along with hydration such as:
• Increase in performance
• Treat and prevent headaches
• More focus
• Having more energy
When it comes to hydration levels, leave it to the pro, Tanita. All you’ll have to do is step on the scales and pour a glass of water.
Another device that Tanita manufactures is the breath checkers. The breath checkers measure the amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) that are given off by bacteria. It has an odor level meter that ranges from no odor to intense odor. Halitosis, or bad breath, can be awkward and embarrassing, or it can be a symptom of a more serious health issue.
"If you don't floss or brush your teeth properly, bacteria will break down the leftover food particles and produces an ordours sulfur compound. Likewise, water serves as an aid to wash away food and bacteria, so if you don't drink enough water you could be left with an unpleasant smell."
-Dr. Neelagiri
According to Dr. Neelagiri (*3), bad breath could be a sign of poor oral hygiene, dehydration, or a more serious issue such as:
• Diabetes – breath smells like nail polish
• Kidney Disease – metallic taste in your mouth and breath smells like ammonia
• Liver Disease – breath has a sweet musty odor
• Pneumonia – breath smells due to odorous phlegm
• Bronchitis – mucus and breath smell bad
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – regurgitated food causes bad breath
Once proper oral hygiene and hydration is maintained but the odor on the breath checker is high, you may want to consult a doctor. The bad breath may be caused by a more serious issue with other symptoms to go along with it. Not only is odorless breath good for your health but it will make kisses much more pleasurable.
Tanita and TheCompetitiveEdge.com are proud to support our medical providers in this current pandemic. We want to thank all the doctors, nurses, and aids who are helping fight the Coronavirus everyday as well as the people who are staying home in this time of uncertainty. We want you all to know that we are here for you.
TheCompetitiveEdge.com is the #1 distributor of Tanita Corporation of America, Inc.'s products. While TheCompetitiveEdge.com is on the West Coast, WA, and Tanita is in the Midwest, IL, they remain a collaborative partnership. A partnership of helping people, both consumers and professionals, get the equipment they need to monitor a healthier lifestyle.
During our current Coronavirus crisis, both offices are here to support their customers. Tanita and TheCompetitiveEdge.com are still available to offer customer service and next day shipping on orders. Remember, we're in this together.
For questions on orders or products, please contact TheCompetitiveEdge.com at 1 (866) 859-3343 (EDGE) or email sales@ thecompetitiveedge.com. Tanita is also available for customer service and product servicing. Call Tanita at 1 (847) 640-9241 or email 4health@tanita.com.
TheCompetitiveEdge.com
1 (866) 859-3343 (EDGE)
Mon. - Fri. 7:30am - 4:30pm (PST)
eMail: sales@thecompetitiveedge.com
Web: www.TheCompetitiveEdge.com
TANITA
1 (847) 640-9241
Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 5:30pm (CST)
eMail: 4health@tanita.com
Web: www.tanita.com
IRONMAN and the “M-DOT” logo are registered trademarks of World Triathlon Corporation. Official Product of the IRONMAN TRIATHLON. Used here by permission.
Citation * 1 - CAN HYDRATION BE AN INDICATOR FOR PERFORMANCE?
https://www.tanita.com/data/File/AdditionalResearch/HydrationAnalysis.pdf?rev=9E75
Citation * 2 - How Does Tanita BIA Technology Work?
https://www.tanita.com/en/howbiaworks
Citation *3 - What Your Bad Breath Might Be Telling You by Dr. Neelagiri
https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/what-your-bad-breath-might-be-telling-you