Joe Pietaro
Joe Pietaro Contributer
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We all are aware that drinking water during a workout is very important. You will perspire while training and need to replace those fluid to maintain proper hydration. Your bodyweight is made up to 70 percent from water and it is unhealthy to lose too much for any period of time without putting it back in. And before you get some crazy ideas about losing weight by drying out, it is the dumbest mistake that you can make and actually be a fatal one.
"But what about bodybuilders who do exactly just that on show day?" you may ask. They themselves will even admit that is unhealthy and they feel at their worst when you may feel they look their best. Dehydration is very common on and backstage at fitness competitions. This is, of course, a unique and extreme case and most of us will not have to make this decision; our hydration is more of the day-to-day variety and much easier to maintain a healthy balance. And since dehydration is detrimental to your health and workout capability, it is a smart move to drink enough fluids before you arrive at the gym. This will help avoid dehydration, especially if you continue to drink water during your workout session.
Another important aspect of water is for dieting. While drinking could or should not replace eating, water can help make you feel fuller and in turn, that will cause you to eat less. And another plus is that you will have less cravings, as well. Even when planning out a good nutritional plan, one cheat meal that we had no intention to eat can throw it all off. So by drinking water before, during and even after a meal (similar to a workout), you will put yourself in a much better position not to pick at junk food later in the day.
Cold water is preferred, as it will help burn more calories though a process called thermogenesis. This occurs when the body creates heat to burn calories and that has to happen at the temperature of the human body, which is higher than cold and even room temperature water.
So how much water should one drink a day? That obviously will change the more you exercise and your actual size, but a basic table to follow is 12 cups for women and 16 for men. This can deviate depending on the aforementioned circumstances, of course, but is a good place to start. And, yes, you can drink too much water and that is detrimental, of course. The body needs to balance out its salt (electrolytes) and overdoing it with water will prevent that. So try to adhere to those amounts we suggested and not pour a gallon down your gullet believing that it will help you lose weight.
"But what about bodybuilders who do exactly just that on show day?" you may ask. They themselves will even admit that is unhealthy and they feel at their worst when you may feel they look their best. Dehydration is very common on and backstage at fitness competitions. This is, of course, a unique and extreme case and most of us will not have to make this decision; our hydration is more of the day-to-day variety and much easier to maintain a healthy balance. And since dehydration is detrimental to your health and workout capability, it is a smart move to drink enough fluids before you arrive at the gym. This will help avoid dehydration, especially if you continue to drink water during your workout session.
Another important aspect of water is for dieting. While drinking could or should not replace eating, water can help make you feel fuller and in turn, that will cause you to eat less. And another plus is that you will have less cravings, as well. Even when planning out a good nutritional plan, one cheat meal that we had no intention to eat can throw it all off. So by drinking water before, during and even after a meal (similar to a workout), you will put yourself in a much better position not to pick at junk food later in the day.
Cold water is preferred, as it will help burn more calories though a process called thermogenesis. This occurs when the body creates heat to burn calories and that has to happen at the temperature of the human body, which is higher than cold and even room temperature water.
So how much water should one drink a day? That obviously will change the more you exercise and your actual size, but a basic table to follow is 12 cups for women and 16 for men. This can deviate depending on the aforementioned circumstances, of course, but is a good place to start. And, yes, you can drink too much water and that is detrimental, of course. The body needs to balance out its salt (electrolytes) and overdoing it with water will prevent that. So try to adhere to those amounts we suggested and not pour a gallon down your gullet believing that it will help you lose weight.
