Excellent article
theat discussess the ideal amount of water that you should drink. Marc
David points out why if you work out you should be properly hydrated and
not to over drink which could lead to hyponatremia. Marc David is an innovative
fitness enthusiast and the creator of the "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness
And Bodybuilding" method at www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com
How Much Water Should I Drink Per Day?
By Marc David
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 over time, 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.
Posted by Critical
Bench - Weight lifting, training and bodybuilding site.
Posted on: Tuesday September
27, 2005 9:45 am
