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.
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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
mrcd@freedomfly.net |
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