Tuesday 10 April 2012

Lets talk water


We all know how important water is for losing weight but did you know it's just as important for building muscle, maybe even more so? Dehydration is a killer to your workouts. You see, muscle relies on water in order to contract properly. It does this through electrical impulses sent via electrolytes and water. Without adequate water for muscle contractions, what do you think your body does? Well, it doesn't move as much weight as it should because your muscles aren't contracting properly. If you've been feeling tired and dry in your workouts, it might be because your dehydrated.
Did you know that even if have a 2% water deficit of your body weight, you can lose as much as 15% of your strength and up to 40% for aerobic workouts? That's a lot. 15% of your strength can make a huge difference in your workout program. If you want to have better workouts and get into top shape, you better be drinking a lot of water. It only makes sense because 70% of our body is made up of water. It really does take water to move muscle so if you want to start getting stronger, load up on water. 

How much water do you need
You need a minimum 8 to 12 cups of water per day and even more to replace the fluid you lose during exercise. Depending on your size and perspiration rate, you lose about four cups of water per hour of exercise.
If you are working out in a mild climate, you are probably losing about 4 to 8 cups of water through perspiration.
If you are working out in a hot climate, you can easily lose a lot more and therefore, dehydrate very quickly. If you don't replenish your fluid loss during exercise, you will tire very quickly and your performance will be poor.
If you don't replenish after exercise, your performance on the following days will suffer.

Water schedule
You need to drink water for health at regular intervals regardless if your thirsty or not. Keeping well hydrated is a must if you want to build muscle.
Drinking water for health and building muscle is just too important and the benefits cannot be overstated.
Drink at least two cups of water upon awaking. Your body is in a dehydrated state after a long sleep and needs water. To ensure that you are getting enough fluids throughout the day, drink 8 to 12 cups of water throughout the day.

Before exercise
Drink at least 2 cups of water two to three hours before exercise and 1 cup of water immediately before exercise. In very hot or cold temperatures, you will need even more water, usually 2 cups immediately before exercise.
During exercise
Drink one cup of water for every 15 minutes of exercise and more in extreme temperatures. Make regular water breaks a part of your training.
After exercise
Drink 2 to 3 cups of water within two hours after exercise. Continue to drink and additional 30 to 50 percent more fluid for the next 3 to 4 hours.
It is very important that drink water for health and that you keep your body well hydrated. Even a small, temporary shortage of water can impair your body's functions. If your muscles become dehydrated by only a small fraction, you lose a certain amount of contractile strength and speed.
Water balance is a very important aspect for building muscle and the maintenance of good health.
Good luck and all the best,


2 comments:

  1. Cheers for the article man.
    Do you body-build?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like this level of detail in guids, thanks.

    ReplyDelete