The Importance of Muscle Hydration

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If you are working out to achieve your ideal muscle health and function, there are many factors that you need to consider and check back. Sometimes, you may overlook muscle hydration, mainly if you focus more on building muscle mass. Like the foods you consume, water and electrolytes are also essential to keep your muscles working as they should.
You can reach your fitness objectives by knowing the significance of muscle hydration and how to keep it up. Whether you are a professional athlete or a fitness enthusiast who exercises for leisure, having good muscle hydration is essential for your overall well-being.

Understanding Muscle Hydration​

Muscle hydration is all about the water and electrolytes in your muscle tissues. Keeping them hydrated can delay exhaustion as you work out and recover from exercise quickly.
If you are active and you think you sweat more, you must have proper fluid balance. Having enough fluids and maintaining them in your body is essential in achieving your fitness goals and general well-being.
In addition to taking an adequate amount of water daily, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that contains foods high in electrolytes, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, may also assist in ensuring that the muscles are properly hydrated.

The Science Behind Muscle Hydration​

Keeping your muscles hydrated is a complex topic and depends on many things. Your muscle's water content is helpful in many ways. Without it, your muscles quickly feel fatigued, which can be harmful if you're an athlete. Not only it reduces your endurance, but it can also make your performance suffer.
Water is not the only requirement for muscle hydration. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium contribute to muscle hydration. These nutrients help the fluid balance and retention in your body. It facilitates muscle contractions and supports nerve function.
The amount of fluids needed by your body depends on different factors. You may require more water and electrolytes if you're on an intense activity level, frequently under heat and humid environments, and have a larger body size.

Dehydration and Its Effect on Muscle Health and Performance​

Dehydration happens when we lose more water and electrolytes than we consume. There are many causes of Dehydration besides sweating and hot and dry environments.
Sometimes, you are also prone to Dehydration if you have severe diarrhea for more prolonged periods or under certain medications. Diuretics increase your urine output, which means you also release body fluids. Side effects from blood pressure medications may also have Dehydration as its side effects.
Here are some effects you would want to avoid, primarily if you work out regularly.

Reduced Endurance​

Your body relies on water to maintain its temperature, provide nutrients to the muscles, and flush waste products out of your system when you work out.
If you are dehydrated, your heart has to work double to pump blood to the body. Your high heart rate and decreased blood pressure can reduce your muscle endurance. Because of this, you can only do workouts for a short period compared to what you usually do.

Impaired Muscle Recovery​

We know that when you exercise, your muscle tissues tear, which is required for them to grow. However, Dehydration slows muscle recovery and reduces the delivery of nutrients your muscle requires for the repair.
Dehydration also increases the concentration of lactic acid in your body. It is an unavoidable waste product from your body, making your muscles sore and further delaying muscle recovery.

Decreased Muscle Functionality​

Dehydration may affect your muscle function. The contraction of muscles requires water. If you drink enough water, your muscles may operate better than they might. Because of this, one's strength and power production when exercising may suffer as a result.

Strategies for Muscle Hydration​

You can keep your muscles hydrated without compromising your workout routine or reducing your workout sessions. In addition, having enough muscle hydration will help your organ function and digest and give you healthy skin.

Drink Water Regularly​

Drinking enough water will refresh your body, especially if you have intense training sessions. Aside from that, it helps lubricate and cushion your muscle joints to reduce friction and minimize the risk of injury.
Your bloodstream absorbs the water and sends it to your muscle tissues. The water replenishes the body fluids you lost from sweating.
A regular individual should consume at least 8 cups of water daily. However, you should increase your daily water intake if you are active. It goes the same if you are frequently in a warm and dry environment.

Consume Electrolytes​

It would help if you had a supply of electrolytes to distribute nutrients like glucose and amino acids into your muscles. Electrolytes fuel your body to keep your strength and repair damaged muscle tissues. While working out, you can have a sports drink or a bottle of water mixed with electrolyte powders. Fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of electrolytes if you prefer natural.
Though it is suitable for muscle hydration, you should still maintain the proper balance of electrolytes in your body. Too much or too little of it can have side effects, hindering you from working out continuously.

Pre-hydrating and Post-hydrating​

Prevent muscle dehydration by pre-hydrating your muscles before activity and rehydrating them after exercise.
Make it a goal to drink fluids before and after exercise and drink water and other fluids regularly throughout the day. In addition, make sure you consume enough electrolyte-containing fluids consistently to maintain a healthy fluid balance and for proper muscle function.

Monitor Urine Color​

Ideally, your urine should have a clear or plate yellow color. It means that your muscles are well-hydrated. If you have dehydration problems, this is the color you should aim for. In contrast, having dark-colored urine may mean that you have severe Dehydration.
Have you noticed your urine color after consuming alcohol? It appears to be dark since alcohol is a diuretic that makes you dehydrated.
Enough water and consuming more electrolytes help you get the preferred urine color. But this should not be your sole basis for identifying whether your muscles are well-hydrated. Sometimes, certain medications also affect your urine color.

Nutritional Considerations​

Aside from water and electrolytes, you can add nutritional supplements to support muscle hydration. Creatine is one of the most common dietary supplements that help in muscle building. In addition, it also helps increase the muscle water content for providing muscle performance.
Like supplements, protein, and carbohydrates are equally important in your muscle hydration. You can add lean meats, eggs, and fish to your meals as your primary source of protein. As for carbohydrates, you can get them from different foods, such as rice, potatoes, pasta, and whole grains.

Hydration and Exercise​

Working out leaves your body under stress. Because of this, you need water to keep your body fueled and your muscles recover.
When you work out, you put your body under stress, needing access to water to recuperate effectively. Maintaining enough hydration ensures your body gets the water it needs to perform its functions.
You lose body fluids as you breathe and sweat when you exercise. Consuming water compensates for what you lost. You may also risk being dehydrated if you don't drink enough water during the day.
It may also deprive you of regularly working out. But Dehydration may also cause headaches and dizziness that can prevent you from working on your daily tasks.

Lifestyle Habits​

Muscle hydration is more than just having enough water and electrolytes throughout the day. Your lifestyle habits may also affect muscle hydration.

Have a Balanced Diet​

Protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes should be part of your diet to keep your muscles hydrated. Adding foods high in water content, especially fruits, can also aid muscle hydration. You may include fruits, such as melons, cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes, in your meal to keep yourself hydrated.

Stress Management​

Cortisol is a hormone secreted in reaction to stress, and it is known to adversely affect the body's ability to maintain proper fluid balance. The body tends to retain more water when cortisol levels are high, which might lead to Dehydration if the body continues to do so.
You can lower cortisol levels and maintain correct fluid balance by learning stress management strategies such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing. These practices can help you manage your stress levels.

Adequate Sleep​

Getting enough sleep is essential for muscle hydration and recovery. The body works to repair and restore damaged tissues, including the muscles, while we sleep.
Aim to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to promote healthy muscle function and hydration. When you're sleep-deprived or overworked, your muscles are more likely to become dehydrated and exhausted.

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

We have habits that we often overlook. We do not notice that we exceed our limits, sometimes leading to Dehydration. Here are the most common mistakes that we tend to make that hinder muscle hydration.

Too Much Alcohol and Caffeine​

Both coffee and alcohol may cause your body to become more dehydrated, which will make it harder for your muscles to recover from exhaustion. When you consume alcohol excessively, it makes you urinate more, which leaves your body dehydrated.
Similarly, consuming excessive sugar or caffeine may cause the body to become dehydrated and affect the hydration of the muscles. Though it is not prohibited to drink coffee, you should consume it in moderation if you want to avoid Dehydration.

Over Exercising​

We all want to have the perfect body physique. That's why we exercise. However, doing this over a long period without having any breaks can lead to excessive sweating. And because you do not take breaks to drink water, it will lead to Dehydration.
Listen to your body whenever you feel exhausted or thirsty. Rest and consume good fluids to keep your energy and muscles hydrated for your next workout session.

Waiting for Thirst Before Rehydrating​

Thirst is a delayed response to Dehydration. Your muscles may not have enough fluids to function optimally, especially during workouts. Waiting to get thirsty may not continuously provide the hydration your muscles need.
You should drink 7 to 10 ounces of water at least every finished set during exercise. After training, you should continue to drink water to replace fluids lost during exercise.

Conclusion​

Dehydration is a significant impediment to your muscle-building process. Even if you only work out for leisure, not having enough fluids in your body may cause many side effects, including dizziness and lightheadedness.
You must drink more than enough water to ensure your muscles function correctly during an intense routine. In addition, look back on your lifestyle and check if you have other habits that may cause Dehydration.