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What these five patterns have in common is a pattern of chronic energy expenditure and an absence of intermittent recovery. Physical energy is the fundamental source of fuel in life. Physical energy is derived from the interaction between oxygen and glucose. The two most important regulators of physical activity are breathing and eating. The physical fundamentals are water, sleep and exercise (in that order). Water: Drinking sixty-four ounces of water daily is a key factor in the effective management of physical energy. Drinking water, we have found, is perhaps the most undervalued source of physical energy renewal. Unlike hunger, thirst is an inadequate barometer of need. By the time we feel thirsty, we may be long since dehydrated. A growing body of research suggests that drinking at least sixty-four ounces of water at intervals throughout the day serves performance in a range of important ways. Dehydrate a muscle by as little as 3 percent, for example, and it will lose 10 percent of its strength and 8 percent of its speed. Inadequate hydration also compromises concentration and coordination. Drinking more water may even have health and longevity benefits. In a study of 20,000 people, Australian researchers found that those who drank five eight-ounce glasses of water a day were significantly less likely to die of coronary heart disease as those who drank two glasses of water or less. One possible reason is that dehydration may elevate risk factors such as blood viscosity. By contrast, the consumption of coffee and caffeinated sodas provided no statistically significant heart benefits. Like high-sugar foods, caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and diet colas provide temporary spikes of energy. Because caffeine is a diuretic, however, it prompts dehydration and fatigue in the long run. Sleep: In a study published in the medical journal “Lancet”, researchers looked at the effects of bed rest on some 16,000 patients with fifteen different medical problems. It turned out that prolonged bed rest provided no significant beneficial effect, regardless of their medical condition. To the contrary, bed rest tended to delay recovery and in some cases cause further damage to the patient. These conclusions even applied to condition for which bed rest has long been recommended, including low back pain, recovery after a heart attack and acute infectious hepatitis. On the other hand, there is ample evidence for the dangers of lack of sleep. Sleep debt, frequently imposed by modern lifestyles, can result in profound metabolic alterations. Researchers found that just one week of sleep deprivation altered subjects’ hormone levels, their capacity to metabolise carbohydrates and may have adverse cardiovascular consequences. The metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of ageing. Chronic sleep loss may not only hasten the onset but could also increase the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss. Most human beings require seven to eight hours of sleep per night to function optimally. Going to bed early and waking up early help to optimize performance. Exercise: Lack of exercise can create low stress tolerance – a tendency to become easily frustrated and harsh with others when under pressure. Exercise is essential and the best way to create an exercise habit is to build regular exercise into every day. Three or even four times a week too quickly deteriorates into twice, then once, then never. A daily routine is the most effective method – however, some days it can be 10 or 15 minutes and other days half an hour.
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