The Importance of Fitness and Healthy Hydration | Nick Rana

 

As much as 60% of your body is made up of water and when you work out, you can lose quite a bit. The American College of Sports Medicine notes that drinking water helps functioning of the joints and body tissues, the regulation of body temperature, and the transportation of nutrients.

Hydration is as important as any other topic in bodybuilding because it affects everything else. Your health, performance, body composition, sleep, recovery, mental focus, and even joint health are all affected by your state of hydration.

I’m not talking about being hydrated for your workout. In general, from the time you wake up to the moment you go to bed, sustaining a constant state of hydration is critical for us all.

Here are a few of the ways that simply drinking enough water affects your overall fitness routine.

1.Renal Health

2.Blood Pressure

3.Performance

4.Fat Loss

5.Muscle Volumization

6.Fluid Retention

7.Recovery

You have access to one of the easiest keys to improving your eating habits and your health right at your fingertips — a glass of water. Yes, simple water can make a big difference in your overall health, especially when you include it as part of your exercise and fitness routine.

Water will jump-start your fitness goals into efficiency.

H2O can boost your metabolism, helping you eliminate toxins. It will also aid in your overall digestion. Studies have shown that you consume 90 less calories at each meal if you sip some water prior to eating.

Water can also benefit your skin and helps replenish needed moisture. 

Your skin has hyaluronic acid that absorbs some of what you drink but only as much as it needs. If you can pinch your skin without it immediately bouncing back, it’s a sign that you should pour yourself a glass of water.

Why drinking sufficient water is important for fat loss 

The amount of water that a person needs to drink every day may vary from person to person, depending on diet and physical activity. 60% of the human body up of water. Drinking water helps in maintaining the balance of body fluids.

"Water helps remove waste from the body. When you are hydrated it is easier for the system to move things along and you are less likely to suffer constipation and bloating," Channa writes in the caption of his post while explaining how drinking water helps with fat loss.

Drinking water helps increase lipolysis, a process by which the body burns fat for energy. "It also helps stimulate your metabolism and helps in weight management," he adds.

A person who is dehydrated may experience symptoms of headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Chronic dehydration can increase the risk of kidney disease, urinary tract infection, and impaired brain function. When you don't drink enough water, your skin may look dull, and you may be at risk of premature aging.

Dehydration 

For regular exercisers, maintaining a constant supply of water in the body is essential to performance. Dehydration leads to muscle fatigue and loss of coordination. Even small amounts of water loss may hinder athletic performance. 

In a dehydrated state, the body is unable to cool itself efficiently, leading to heat exhaustion and possibly heat stroke. Without an adequate supply of water, the body will lack energy and muscles may develop cramps. 

To prevent dehydration, exercisers must drink before, during, and after each workout.

Choose the right beverage-

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, and that’s true when it comes to choosing a workout beverage. “If you’re an average person, then water after a workout is just fine,”

But if your workout is more intense and you spend more than three hours at a time doing it, then chocolate milk. "It’s got sodium and calcium, which we lose when we sweat. It’s also got carbs to refuel and give energy, and the protein also helps to repair any damage.”

If milk or water isn’t your thing, sports drinks, coconut water, or other beverages are fine. Don't worry too much about electrolytes; Clark says food can provide those lost in sweat.

Don't Drink too much-

actually possible to drink too much fluid, although this is uncommon. More of risk during marathons and triathlons, athletes who consume a lot of fluid (even sports drinks), 

but not enough sodium can develop a potentially life-threatening condition called hyponatremia. 

(A woman died of it during the 2002 Boston Marathon.) 

Symptoms include bloating, nausea, confusion, disorientation, and seizures. But really, overhydration is “rare,”. “Most people don’t drink enough.”

Pack in some protein and carbs-

While exercising is good for you, it’s common to incur some minor cell or tissue damage after a workout. Proteins can help repair any damage, rehydrating with a protein-rich drink after an especially intense workout. 

But it’s not just about protein. Because you expend substantial amounts of energy when exercising, "you want about three times more carbohydrates than protein," which is why she recommends flavored milk as fluid replacement.

Topics: diet Diet programs diets fasting health intermittent fasting lose weight

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