Hydration


Apr 26, 2020

 by Sunny S.
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Hitting your macronutrient goal is just one piece of the puzzle when we are talking about properly fueling your body for performance and body composition. Equally important is proper hydration. The human body is composed of approximately 60% water. Proper hydration helps to efficiently regulate body temperature and blood pressure, and fluids assist with the movement and transportation of nutrients.

That’s all great, but how is drinking water going to get you shredded or help to achieve your weight loss goals?

Appetite Control

Drinking water before you consume a meal has been shown to decrease appetite. This is such a simple weight loss tool that is often overlooked. It’s as easy as drinking one 16oz glass of water before you start eating.

Strength Development

Moderate dehydration (as low as 2.4% body mass loss) was shown to decrease performance with a training regimen involving multiple sets and reps. Basically, moderate dehydration is going to dramatically impact your muscle endurance. If you aren’t properly hydrated during training this will compound over time. The ability to push the last couple reps out of every set makes a huge impact over the duration of a training cycle. This could be the difference between not improving or hitting a lifetime PR.

Improve Endurance Exercise Performance

Dehydration is going to inhibit your ability to perform at your best during endurance exercise at around 2% (or more) of your body weight lost. The capacity to perform more work is a huge determining factor on how fast you can shed unwanted pounds. Being dehydrated could mean the difference between running 3 miles instead of 4 during your 30 min cardio session. This will make a huge impact over weeks of training.

Increased Work Capacity = Faster Results

How much to drink?

Everyone’s water needs are a little bit different depending on your size and exercise routine. A good rule of thumb is between .75 – 1oz per pound of bodyweight depending on if it’s a training day or a non-training day.

180 lb person non-training day – 135 oz
180 lb person training day – 180 oz
If you live in a hot climate you may need even more.

Hacks to meet your daily goals

  • Drink 8oz before your meals and 8oz during your meals.
  • Wake up and drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning.
  • Set a goal for the day and use a bottle or jug to measure your progress.
  • Flavor your water. There are many calorie-free, naturally sweetened (stevia), flavor additives.
  • Track your water with your macros. Track everything, coffee, ice tea, etc.. They all add to your total.