How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
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.
Marc David is a bodybuilder, writer, and author of the the e-book "The
Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding" (BGFB): What Every Beginner
Should Know but Probably Doesn't. Marc has written over 20 articles and has
been featured in several health and fitness websites. Marc's opinionated and
informative articles on bodybuilding, weight loss and training are featured
regularly on websites worldwide. For information on Marc's "Beginner's Guide"
e-book, go here:
http://www.freedomfly.net/beginnerguide_sales.html
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(Editors Note: we at Ponyball only recommend drinking steam distilled
or reverse osmosis water. Tap water has too many chemicals in it.
You will be amazed at the difference you see in your endurance
and energy levels!
Please find out more about drinking steam distilled water. We have
used WaterWise distillers for over 30 years and are totally pleased
with the company products and their service.
http://waterwise.com
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