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Water & The Pilot
By Nina Anderson, SPN, author of
Eliminating Pilot Error.
April 14 - The Federal Aviation Administration has recently
updated a requirement in the Practical Test Standards that applicants
for pilot certificates explain the symptoms, causes, effects, and
corrective actions for at least three physiological conditions. The list
now includes hypoxia, hyperventilation, middle ear and sinus problems,
spatial disorientation, motion sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning,
stress and fatigue and dehydration. 
While most conditions are outlined in
various FAA publications, there is scant information on dehydration,
which was recently added to the list. Most pilots associate dehydration
with thirst and figure and assume that an easy fix is just to drink any
type of liquid. This is not always the case. A pilot’s dehydration
condition is caused by a lack of water within the body cavity due to
high body temperatures, a dry aircraft environment, excess caffeine,
antihistamines and of course, not drinking appropriate fluids. Many soft
drinks, teas and juice drinks do not constitute water substitutes as
they may contain caffeine and sugar that can compromise absorption of
the water content. Un-replaced water losses equal 2 percent of body
weight and will impact your body’s ability to regulate heat. At 3
percent loss there is a decrease in muscle cell contraction times. When
fluid losses equal 4 percent of body weight there is a 5-10 percent drop
in overall performance, which can last up to four hours.
The symptoms of dehydration go beyond
thirst. In an effort respond to the brain’s need for fluid, the kidneys
reabsorb water through the urine creating fluid retention and frequent
urges to visit the bathroom. Dry skin is also an indicator of
dehydration as the skin gets most of its moisture subdermally. The brain
is 75 percent water and when it needs to replace lost fluid it can
manifest a symptom such as headaches, lightheadedness and fatigue.
Dehydration also can contribute to fuzzy thinking, poor decision-making
and muscle fatigue. Long-term effects can manifest in wrinkled skin,
impaired memory function, dry hair, brittle nails, constipation,
susceptibility to colds and sinus infections because of extremely dry
nasal passages.
OK. So you want to
avoid dehydration? You become married to a water bottle and drink from
it regularly. Are you safe? Perhaps, although water is not just water
anymore. According to the International Sports Medicine Institute, many
Americans are dehydrated because they don’t drink enough water and the
water they do drink is most likely mineral (electrolyte) deficient.
Unless you source this life-giving elixir from a well or mountain
spring, the water usually has been processed, filtered, and possibly
chlorinated. The result is often de-mineralized water which can put you
at greater risk.
Minerals
(electrolytes) facilitate delivery of oxygen to achieve and maintain
peak brain function and proper nervous system response. The constant
firing of micro-electric impulses across the synapses of the brain
requires a great deal of energy. In addition to water, mineral
replacement is essential to helping restore proper blood volume and
blood sugar levels, and is necessary for enzymatic reactions that
promote proper blood volume. Electrolytes are key to this process. If,
because of electrolyte imbalance, there isn’t enough oxygen available
for the nerve cells to fire when needed, the brain functions less
effectively. When mineral levels are insufficient to meet the demands of
the body under emotional, physiological, and psychological stresses such
as during an in-flight emergency, the result may be a substandard level
of performance. This is the last thing you want to happen during
nighttime low approach with one engine out.
The primary dehydration avoidance
procedure is to simply drink mineralized (electrolyte) water.
Electrolyte drinks, more commonly known as sports drinks, are generally
designed to replace the fluids (water) and electrolytes (sodium,
potassium, chromium, manganese, etc.) lost during stress, body
temperature regulation and exercise. Most of these drinks contain
carbohydrates added as sugar, glucose, or fructose. Depending on the
individual and amount in the drink, these ingredients may affect muscle
performance, fatigue levels and put the pilot on a glycemic roller
coaster where the body will crave more and more carbs to sustain focus
and concentration.
Since many hydration drinks only contain
two or three electrolytes, it may be better to choose instead,
pre-bottled varieties of multi-mineral water. Several commercial brands
are available at your supermarket, but not necessarily found in airport
vending machines. Many corporate pilots carry a portable electrolyte
effervescent tablet, electroBlast™ in their flight bag. It has all the
essential trace minerals needed without added refined sugar, artificial
dyes or sweeteners. They add it to the bottled water or unsweetened
sports drink that they purchase while on a trip, and since it has a
better taste than plain water they drink more than if it was unflavored.
The Federal Air Surgeon’s Medical
Bulletin, Spring 2000: Dehydration and the Pilot, lists
rehydration procedures. They advise drinking cool water and don’t rely
on the thirst sensation as an alarm. To encourage drinking more water
they recommend adding some flavoring to it and cautioned against excess
caffeine as it is a diuretic. Their final message is to “Fly safe and
never pass up an opportunity to have a fresh glass of water.” I would
like to add—with electrolytes!
By Nina Anderson, ATP HS125, NA265, FAA
Wings Program human factors seminar leader, ISSA Specialist in
Performance Nutrition, Author of Eliminating Pilot Error, and
2012 Airborne Prophesy, Safe Goods (888) NATURE-1. nina@fly-low.com
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