Hydration hacks for hormone balance in perimenopause

Today we're (shock horror) not talking about protein. We're talking hydration in midlife and menopause and what actually matters (and what doesn’t).

We're the generation that grew up never really drinking drinking water. Maybe a carton of Um Bongo at break time. A glass of milk here and there. Definitely not eight full glasses of h2o a day. But how things change!

First some myth-busting.

Maybe you wish that drinking more water would magically melt away fat, but sadly there isn’t some mythical hormone and water interaction that suddenly makes being well-hydrated a fat loss tool. But make no mistake - hydration still matters. A fuckova lot.

When you understand why, it becomes something simple and useful you can do for your health, and absolutely not another wellness obsession.

Kelly - never knowingly under-hydrated

First: why hydration matters, full stop.

Water makes up roughly 50–70% of our body weight, and in women, it’s closer to 50%. Men tend to carry slightly more because they typically have more muscle (not compared to FitBtches though, right, slags?), and muscle holds more water.

Let's revisit some school biology. Water is the stuff of life because it makes up a major component of blood and transports nutrients around the body. It protects and lubricates joints and maintains cellular balance while also regulating our body temperature.

Inside our bodies, hydration is tightly regulated. Water shifts in and out of cells constantly. We lose it constantly, through peeing, sweating, breastfeeding (shout out to all the MILFs) or even breathing. And in the short term, your body prioritises restoring hydration above all else. It’s not optional. It's why you can go without food for many days. Without water, you are, as the kids say, cooked.

Why hydration matters in perimenopause and menopause

There’s no strong evidence that menopause or perimenopause change hydration requirements in any sort of dramatic way. But here’s why we're talking about the two things in conjunction today: many perimenopausal symptoms overlap with dehydration symptoms.

All the classics: fatigue, brain fog, headaches, dizziness and low energy... is it perimeno or are you just in desperate need of a glass of water? (It's probably both babes.)

But if you’re already dealing with hormonal fluctuations and poor sleep, being even mildly dehydrated will absolutely make everything feel worse. There are certain key demographics that are often chronically under-hydrated. Mums of young kids, office slags, anyone who mainlines coffee and very little water, we see you. You don't need us to say that this behaviour can increase headaches and, in the end reduce cognition. That on top of the peri shiz? Ugh.

So while being well-hydrated may not 'fix' your other symptoms, dehydration can unfortunately amplify the struggle.

How do you know if you're dehydrated (or if it's 'just' perimenopause)?

Piece of piss mate... as in, look at your urine. This is the easiest way to tell. Light, pale yellow = hydrated. Dark yellow = go get a glass of water (or beverage of choice... see below). You don’t need apps or trackers - just gaze into the bog.

The scale x water weight

This part of the post is especially important for women who weigh themselves. Because it's not all of you, but some of you are serial scale steppers.

Water fluctuations are normal. And they make your weight change as well.

It's not fat. You would need roughly a 3,500 calorie surplus to gain half a kilo (or 1lb in old money). So most of the time, if your weight seems to jump up overnight, we repeat, it is not fat.

It’s usually because you've eaten a salty, higher carb or super-sugary meal. It could also be exercise-induced inflammation aaaand of course, our old friend, the menstrual cycle and where you are in it (if still having periods). All of these can draw extra water into the cells. It’s a temporary physiological thing and once again, it’s not fat. Understanding this prevents unnecessary food restriction, at the cost of the things you need in your diet, like our other old friend... protein.

Hydration and fat loss

Let's be as clear as possible here - there’s no significant evidence that simply drinking more water directly causes fat loss. However, dehydration can increase lethargy, which then reduces movement (as you can't be fecked), and lower movement means lower daily energy expenditure. If you read our blog on NEAT, you'll know why moving more matters! So basically, hydration supports your ability to move well, which helps you commit to working out, as well as maintaining non-exercise activity.

There are small studies showing cold water can oh-so-slightly increase energy expenditure, but the effect is minimal. It's not something which anyone could describe as a proper fat loss strategy.

Therefore, drink more water = body functions well = maaaybe drop some fat. Worth a try but don't rely on it!

Exercise and rehydration

If you’re working out or doing a straightforward FitBtch session and sweating moderately, you do not need fancy rehydration products. Even the well-marketed ones! You don't even need them after running short distances. Drink water afterwards obv, and during if you need to. Making sure you're generally well-hydrated throughout the day is usually enough.

However, if you’re doing long cardio sessions, training in heat or really heavily sweating, then replacing sodium and potassium can be helpful. And this is where hypotonic sports drinks can be useful. They’re designed to be absorbed quickly and replace electrolytes. But this is really based on doing things like the aforementioned activities - it’s really not a daily requirement.

What about caffeine?

Although we side-eyed caffeine above, and although it has a mild diuretic effect, drinking coffee alone is not a major cause of dehydration. The real issue is when caffeine replaces water entirely. If coffee is all you drink all day, you're probably not drinking enough to stay hydrated (unless you're some kind of jittery superbeing) so it's more the lack of overall fluid intake that becomes the problem. Not caffeine itself.

Our top tip to stay consistent

Carry a bottle around.

This is one of the easiest ways to shift drinking water into a habit. If the water is physically near you, you drink more. Simple behaviour engineering with a big payoff! That's it really.

Best drinks for energy & recovery

The ones you'll actually drink!

Not everyone loves plain water and that's fine. You can chug sugar-free squash or diluted fruit juice, have herbal teas, water-based protein shakes, smoothies or even soups (maybe not in a bottle you carry round all day) - they all contribute to fluid intake.

The perfect 8 glasses of unadulterated water a day is not actually required - that's just another myth. A similar amount of fairly clear, water-heavy liquid - great! You're smashing it!

The final thought

Being well-hydrated won’t solve everything peri throws at us, and it won’t cause fat loss on its own. But it will help with keeping your energy up, help your brain work better (in your face, brain fog), reduce unnecessary fatigue - that's not just tied to shit sleep - and help you move better and thus work out better/more often.

Hydration in menopause and perimenopause isn’t rocket science. Drink enough and you'll be golden (or at least a nice pale yellow... see above).

Keep it up slags. Now stop reading this and go get a glass of water. But maybe if it's not past 7pm.