NATIONAL HYDRATION DAY: WHY STAYING HYDRATED MATTERS

Every year on June 23rd, we celebrate National Hydration Day in the United States. While you have seen plenty of celebration days on social media, you might be surprised to learn there’s actually a cool history behind National Hydration Day.

It's a great reminder of the incredible and vital role that hydration plays in our everyday health and wellbeing. From athletes and gym-goers to office workers and drivers, everybody can enjoy the benefits of building good hydration habits. 

If you’re not sure where to start then we’ve got you covered with lots of tips and info to help you along your way.

Let’s start with how and why National Hydration Day was established back in 2012. It was a way of acknowledging Victor Hawkins, a high school football coach who noticed his players were struggling with the impact of dehydration. He would go on to come up with a unique solution; a mouthguard that released essential electrolytes into the players’ mouths. 

Hawkins partnered with SafeTGard to create FuelGard for athletes to stay hydrated throughout practice and during games. When Hawkins passed away in 2012, the SafeTGard corporation established National Hydration Day in honor of Hawkins and to increase awareness of just how important hydration is for everyone(1).

Even outside of National Hydration Day, we talk a lot about the importance of staying well hydrated - it’s kind of our thing! 

We talk about it a lot because the benefits of good hydration can have such a huge impact on our wellbeing. Hydration has been linked to maintaining numerous functions in the body such as improved digestion, keeping joints lubricated and preventing infections. Being well hydrated throughout the day by drinking small amounts often can also help to improve your sleep quality, ability to focus, and can boost your overall mood. When hydration awareness is lacking, it can lead to fatigue, headaches and irritability. 

"Hydration is key for overall health, as dehydration can negatively impact nearly every organ system in the body,” says Dr. Bob Sallis, a family medicine and sports medicine physician. 

Our bodies do a remarkable job of maintaining keeping appropriate levels of water and electrolytes, but there are times when stores become depleted,  it can become inadequate, which is when dehydration can occur.

Beyond feeling thirsty, our bodies are capable of showing us more subtle mental and physical signs of dehydration. These are easy to recognise once you know what to look out for:

• strong feeling of thirst
• dark yellow, strong-smelling urine
• needing to pee less often than usual
• feeling dizzy, lightheaded or fatigued
• dry mouth, lips and tongue
• sunken eyes

Dehydration can also cause significant drops in energy and potentially weaken your immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections and illness. As hydration helps with the body’s nutrient absorption, being dehydrated can also impact your recovery from even mild illness(2). 

The best action is always prevention so we’d recommend that you hydrate throughout the day, carry a reusable water bottle and get to know your body’s cues. Particularly if you’re doing a lot of physical activity or in a warmer climate - especially when you sweat a lot - you can consider adding essential electrolytes to your drinks to help replenish what you lose. 

For example, when you sweat through vigorous exercise or from being in a hot environment, you lose sodium, potassium, and magnesium which need to be replenished through food and drink to maintain appropriate levels in the body. Magnesium helps with muscle function and contraction to help aid your recovery following intense movement. Electrolyte levels change in the body depending on your fluid intake, intensity, and sweating intensity as well as other factors including your height, weight and age(3). 

Even though hydration levels that you need can depend on a number of personal factors, incorporating healthy hydration habits into your routine doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Variety is key: Water is the best thing you can drink, but there’s no harm in keeping things interesting for yourself. Try diet, sugar-free or no added sugar drinks in flavors you enjoy. Still or sparkling water can be enjoyed with a squeeze or slice of lemon, lime, cucumber, mint - play around with flavor combinations. Tea and coffee is also great in moderation so even your morning latte can help you stay hydrated!

While water is a good hydrator, when you sweat heavily from physical activity or heat, your body loses not only water but also essential electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are vital for muscle, heart, and brain function. 

“To effectively rehydrate, it's important to consume a beverage that replenishes what your body has lost. An ideal hydration drink contains a combination of fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates to facilitate rapid rehydration and fluid retention. Prioritizing proper hydration is a simple yet highly effective strategy for maintaining health, sharpness, and performance, especially during times of heavy sweating," shares Dr. Sallis.

Make it easy for yourself: Invest in a good quality reusable water bottle that’s easy to carry, keep it by the front door or in your bag so you don’t forget it - it all sounds simple but these are effective ways to ensure hydration awareness is high up on your priorities for the day. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself either, sip little and often throughout the day and increase your fluid intake with electrolyte hydration drinks such as Pocari when you’re exercising or recovering(4).

While athletes and people that live or work in hotter climates can especially benefit from increasing their electrolytes, most people can reap the benefits of electrolytes through regular water intake and foods they enjoy. 

Sodium, potassium and magnesium are particularly key for optimal hydration. Sodium helps control the distribution of water throughout your body which helps you stay hydrated and in turn keep organs functioning properly. Potassium also works alongside sodium to move across our nerve cells to generate electrical impulses which transmit nerve signals which is vital for good cognitive function. Magnesium plays a vital role in muscle function, contraction and recovery from everyday movements as well as trips to the gym.  

• Sodium is mostly found in your diet through foods high in salt including bacon, olives, prawns, cheese, pickles, anchovies, apricots, spinach and potatoes.
• Potassium is found in bananas, avocados, dried fruits and leafy greens. 
• Magnesium can be found in nuts, greens, whole grains and dry beans.
• High water content fruits and veggies include peaches, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini and celery. While broths, soups and coconut water can also count towards your water intake on top of being rich in other nutrients, vitamins and minerals(5).

With all this mind, it’s time to consider how you can best enjoy National Hydration Day 2025. Days like this, ones that are focused on wellbeing, can be a great cornerstone for community, team building and bonding. 

Get your workplace involved in National Hydration Day and encourage teams to challenge each other to stay hydrated. Send out mass emails as reminders to drink some water or try a different hydration beverage. Install a urine color chart in restroom areas to help staff easily monitor their hydration levels throughout the day. Consider joining a sponsored event such as a 5k walk - events that get people up and moving can really encourage better hydration and increased well being in the workplace. You can also spark engagement by encouraging employees to try different hydration beverages and by. 

Check out social media challenges and find some inspiration by searching the hashtag #NationalHydrationDay and tag your friends and family to get them involved and increase their hydration awareness. 

If you live in an apartment building or have a shared communal space, why not leave some bottled water and a note explaining all the benefits of celebrating National Hydration Day. You can do the same for delivery drivers and postal workers, or drop bottles off as a surprise to friends and family. It’s unusual but it’s sure to get them wondering what National Hydration Day is about!

Share this article or maybe our short quiz for personalized recommendations on how Pocari can support you and your loved ones every day - after all, healthy habits are for life, not justNational Hydration Day. 

Pocari Sweat is a citrus-flavoured hydration drink designed to replenish the body and replace what you lose when you sweat. It sounds simple but it’s also backed by decades of science and research. 

When hydration levels are restored, you perform better, think a little more clearly, and feel more like yourself so we formulated Pocari Sweat with fast and effective hydration in mind. 

The unique blend of essential electrolytes, minerals, water and carbohydrates is designed to imitate the body’s natural balance of water and electrolytes.

Better yet, our hydration drinks come in different forms to suit your lifestyle. From long hikes and exercise classes to gardening and playing outside in the summer, our bottles and sachets are ideal for whatever the day is bringing you. 

Hopefully, we’ve made National Hydration Day something for you to look forward to this year but if you’ve still got questions then we can help. If you’re still wondering how much water you need to drink in a day or maybe you’re curious about myths about hydration then our blog is full of helpful guides and great tips on these topics and all-things hydration. 

You can also tag us @Pocari on social media and share your #NationalHydrationDay events, challenges and stories. 

1. https://fitness-nation.net/what-to-know-about-national-hydration-day/
2. https://keithfamilymedicine.com/blog/f/national-hydration-day-june-23
3. https://trypocari.com/blogs/blog/electrolytes-functions-benefits
4. https://shop.culligan.com/blogs/filtration/celebrate-national-hydration-day-monday-6-23-2024
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10