Many people underestimate the importance that water and hydration play in our overall health. The human body comprises 60% water; blood has 82% water, while the lungs are nearly 90% water. Therefore, it is the most abundant nutrient in the human body and the most important, as it promotes health, growth, and development.
If you are active in a fitness routine, maintaining proper hydration levels becomes a bigger priority as most people cross the line of dehydration in their regular lives. So learn the importance of H2O in your health journey.
Performance
Being dehydrated by just two or three percent can reduce your gym performance by nearly 20% overall. This is largely down to the fact that your body will struggle to transport nutrients, regenerate ATP and flush out lactic acid when your hydration levels drop.
You will feel extremely lethargic, and your workout will suddenly feel twice the challenge it should be, reducing your intensity and affecting your results.
Recovery
Hydration significantly impacts nutrient transportation, gut health, joint health, and assimilation. When you are dehydrated, your digestive system cannot process food correctly, making it unable to properly ingest the nutrients and necessary elements of food as efficiently as it could when adequately hydrated.
This will have a massive impact on your body’s ability to recover properly after exercise, as well as grow and perform to the optimal level. Keep good quality fresh water close at hand in your gym with benchtop water filters Australia.
Building & Maintaining Muscle
Water is needed to move nutrients into your cells and waste out of the body. It’s an essential element in building protein and glycogen structures. In addition, your muscles require water to work correctly. When you’re dehydrated, the muscles are deprived of the necessary electrolytes and will start to cramp. As nerves control muscles, having an imbalance will negatively affect your muscle strength and control.
Furthermore, a lack of water will prevent muscles from contracting correctly, reducing overall tone. Conversely, being adequately hydrated will fill out the muscles, making you look more toned.
Blood Pressure
If you fail to remain hydrated, your blood pressure will become elevated in just a few days as your body begins to slowly shut down parts of the capillary network to compensate for the lack of water. This will put more pressure on your vital arteries, thus increasing your blood pressure.
As mentioned before, water moves blood into cells and muscles. If this is being compromised due to dehydration, your muscle-building ability is significantly reduced.
Renal Health
Renal function and health refer to your kidneys, which are the organs responsible for processing the waste out of your system. Like all organs, a lack of water will put a significant strain on your kidneys, especially once you consider how much work they are required to do, processing food, supplements, and protein needed to have proper workouts.
Increasing water intake will take large amounts of stress off your kidneys and help them work efficiently and effectively. A compromised renal function can lead to severe issues like kidney stones if not correctly treated.
Fat Loss
Increasing your water intake can directly result in fat loss in multiple ways. Firstly, it dramatically improves your satiety, meaning cravings and overall hunger will not be overly dominant feelings.
Secondly, an increased intake forces your body to create more urine, which is a warm liquid. This takes energy, and your body will burn calories going through this process.
Lastly, if you choose to drink cold water, your body has to expend further energy to bring the water up to a proper temperature to maintain its core temperature.
Helpful Additions
It is recommended that you drink water before, during, and immediately after exercising to replenish any lost fluids. Your body needs hydration to function correctly in all stages of exercise. This is especially important if you take supplements and eat a diet to build muscles.
Drinking water should be a daily habit, regardless of your fitness goals. By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already in a state of dehydration. Water is crucial for your body to recover properly and be in the best shape for your next gym visit.
After an 8-hour sleep, drink at least one large glass of water, as your body can easily slip into dehydration mode throughout the night. If you consume more caffeine, your intake should increase as well. And when possible, always choose to drink cold water.
Lastly, bare in mind the impact that supplements, medication, and increased physical activity can have on your body and the amount of water needed to keep it functioning correctly. While it is possible to overhydrate your body (although you would have to consume an extraordinary amount of liquid for this to happen), putting your body under constant physical strain will deplete it far quicker than a normal, sedentary lifestyle.
Water should be your priority when embarking on any kind of exercise routine and fitness-orientated goals. It can be the difference between building a healthy, muscular body and severe health issues.