I’m always amazed at how many people seem to know the answer to
this question yet in practice they fail. Everybody I’ve talked
to seems to know that 8-12 glasses of water a day is the
recommended standard. But if I ask them how many glasses of
water have you consumed today? The answer is usually none. Or
the other standard answer at a corporate environment “does
coffee count?”
While 8-12 glasses of water is great for the average sedentary
person, many of us are fitness conscious or on the pursuit of
some type of bodybuilding physique. With that in mind, I think
the new standard for us should be 1-2 gallons of water a day.
As a bodybuilder, you are putting much more nutrients, food,
supplements, and other stuff into your body. What your body does
not use, it must rid itself of by any means necessary. Usually
it does this via water. So drinking plenty of water becomes a
necessity. Increasing protein puts a strain on your body and
drinking lots of water can keep things “moving.” Creatine
monohydrate supplementation requires a lot of water. Creatine is
all about cell volumization. Making sure your cells are
completely hydrated helps with the volumization process. NO2, a
hemodilator, requires water. Many other supplements require
water as a transport and a flushing method.
The side effects of drinking too little water are an excess
buildup of certain chemicals. Creatine can leave behind some
buildup that overtime, becomes a bit hard to pass. Putting such
a strain on the body is also self-defeating. But don’t get me
wrong, it’s not just about Creatine and NO2. It’s about making
sure you are hydrated.
Being properly hydrated has it’s benefits other then just the
flushing methods and cell volumization discussed above. Your
state of alertness is affected by your hydration levels.
Performance in the gym by a hydrated body is enhanced. Your body
is roughly 70% water. It makes sense to hydrate it. Drinking
water is not just for hot days. It’s for intense workouts in the
gym. In fact, being hydrated has that perpetual pump that is so
sought after.
There can be too much of a good thing. Drinking water to excess
leads to water intoxication, referred to as hyponatremia. As you
consume water, blood plasma increases and dilutes the salt
content of the blood. While this is happening, you lose more
salt by sweating. Consequently the amount of salt available to
the body tissues decreases and over time, the loss interferes
with brain, heart and muscle functions. Water intoxication is
more commonly found in endurance athletes.
Drink plenty of water per day, but just keep in mind, there can
be too much of a good thing. Being properly hydrated is
necessary for optimum performance in the gym and for keeping
your body performing well.
About the author:
Marc David has a degree in Criminal Justice from Sacramento
State, a 16 year history of non-competitive bodybuilding and is
the owner of Freedomfly -the fitness network! For free fitness
tools, discount supplements, fitness consultation, and workout
routines, visit http://www.freedomfly.net