14 DAY TRIAL // As health experts continue to debate on whether eight glasses of water a day really do wonders for our body, both in terms of our overall health and when it comes to losing weight, one thing is for certain: drinking water before a workout is highly recommended. As a new study points out, our body needs water to keep up with our rigorous workout routine, otherwise we feel exhausted and drained of energy.
Not few of us have been in the situation in which, no matter how much effort we put in our daily training, we still felt like the first time in the gym at the end of each session. One reason why this might be happening is because our body is dehydrated, experts say, which is why they recommend drinking water one or two hours before a workout.
To make sure we also compensate for what we lose through sweat, we should also sip on a bottle of water during and after exercise, experts also point out.
“Nearly every cell in the body is composed of water – without it, they don’t function efficiently during exercise.” Dan Judelson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University in Fullerton, tells, as quoted by Health.MSNBC.
A recent study conducted to show the precise effects water has on the body while training has revealed that dehydrated exercisers “completed three to five fewer reps per set while strength-training,” the same media outlet points out. Therefore, drinking water before training is essential to having more energy for a specific routine, which, in turn, translates into a faster time for building muscle mass and toning up.
“Part of the problem is that dehydration decreases the body’s levels of anabolic hormone that are necessary for strong muscles. On workout days, drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight (i.e., 15 ounces if you weigh 150) one to two hours prior to exercise. Then keep sipping during and after your session to replenish what you lose through sweat.” the same media outlet urges, based on the findings of the study.
With this in mind, drinking eight glasses of water per day seems to be nothing short of an urban myth. According to other studies on the topic, water does not remove toxins from the kidneys, does not improve the condition of the skin, does not necessarily lead to weight loss, does not improve organ function, and it doesn’t keep headaches at bay. The debate on the health benefits of drinking a certain quantity of water on a daily basis is still open, though, so keep an eye on this space for more.