An average person can lose about 3 liters of water from a strenuous exercise especially when it is hot and muggy. This loss may occur via respiration and perspiration. Experts say that when the body loses one and a half liters of water, endurance and performance is reduced due to decreased amount of blood that circulates to the muscles and skin. Athletes may suffer from this trouble during long hours of body activity. When they do not take enough amount of fluid, dehydration may ensue. Thus, it is necessary for athletes as well as active people to take more amount of fluids than an average person does.

Increasing the amount of water intake may replenish lost water. Drinking more water may also be a way to hyperhydrate the body. However, the urinary system is most likely going to flush out most of the excess water in an hour. But there is a way to retain water and keep it from getting flushed out of the system.

Glycerol is a substance which is classified as an organic compound. When added to drinking water, it can maintain high levels of water in the body for up to 4 hours. In organic chemistry, this compound is known to contain three carbon atoms and it has a similar molecular structure to alcohol that it is called sugar alcohol. It occurs naturally in fats in form of glycerides and is actually a fundamental part in the molecular structure of lipids. It is also present in the body in minute amounts as a result of breakdown of fats in the liver.

This nontoxic chemical has some benefits when ingested. It increases the amount of fluid in the blood plasma and tissues. This is because the chemical is known to have hygroscopic properties. This means that it attracts water molecules from the surroundings. For example, if you leave a beaker of this substance in the open air, soon it becomes diluted as it absorbs water from the air. The same explanation tells why glycerin soaps when left in the open will become covered in dewdrops of water. Note that glycerin is the other term for the compound. It lengthens the life of water inside the body, so excess water will not be excreted until the hygroscopic substance is broken down by the body.