Health aNd Fitness Guide

This is the fourth post in a series of Workout and Nutrition Tips by Jason Gremley.

The average person can last for a month without food but can last only about four days without a source of water. Water is thus the most important (but often overlooked) nutrient of all. Your intake of water should be high for health reasons. Drinking a lot of water also promotes fat loss and gaining muscle.

1. Health Benefits. Just about every metabolic process in the human body involves water. Ample water helps your body remove toxins. It also helps prevent health problems such as constipation and muscle cramping.
2. Fat Loss. Often, when a person thinks he or she is hungry, the person is actually just thirsty. And every time you drink water instead of soda, milk, beer, or a latte, you are saving yourself a lot of liquid calories. Water makes you feel fuller than you otherwise would and is an appetite suppressant. Thus, drinking some water before starting a meal should reduce the amount of food you end up eating.
3. Muscle Gain. Surprisingly, 70% of muscle tissue is comprised of water (with protein making up the other 30%). When your muscles have ample water, they will look more full and an anabolic muscle-building condition will be promoted. Conversely, dehydration can make muscles look flat and a catabolic muscle-wasting condition can set in. Indeed, one of the ways that creatine promotes larger, stronger muscles is that it draws water inside the muscles and keeps it there. Of course, this means that you should up your water intake when supplementing with creatine. Likewise, you should increase your consumption of water whenever you take in a lot of protein, to help your body process it.
4. How Much? Eight eight-ounce glasses (half a gallon) of water a day are recommended. Fruit juices, nonfat milk, and non-caffeinated soda can count towards that total. However, keep in mind that beverages containing caffeine (for example, coffee, tea, and most sodas) or alcohol act as diuretics and actually cause a net decrease in your body’s overall water supply. Thus, you should compensate by drinking more water if you enjoy caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. If you are a very active person, you might want to drink up to a gallon a day of water or equivalent beverages, particularly in hot weather. Also remember to drink water regularly during your workouts to regulate your body temperature and help out your muscles.