Muscle Diet

QUESTION: I know it’s important to drink water throughout the day, but how much should I drink?

ANSWER: I’ve been told two gallons, but that seems a bit much. Some “experts” seem to think that when it comes to water, more is better. I always shake my head in despair about recommendations of two or more gallons of water. Where does this hogwash come from? Not from science, that’s for sure! Some suggest that extra water helps build muscle or shed fat, but where’s the evidence? There’s none—unless they’re talking about all of the calories you’ll burn by constantly having to get up to piss! So what about water intake? Well, the Institute of Medicine found that most people’s fluid intakes were perfectly adequate. Men got about a gallon (3.8 litres) of fluid per day, but most of this wasn’t from drinking water but from other drinks and food. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink more liquid to replace “sweat loss,” which means you’ll need more if you exercise for long periods or in the heat. And before I get a thousand e-mails to my MuscleDiet site, yes, drinks with caffeine count (caffeine’s a very mild diuretic, so these drinks hydrate you about the same as others). So the recommendation is to use your head. If you train a lot or sweat a lot,
drink more. Dehydration decreases Performance and has health risks but too much water can cause hyponatremia (excessive sodium loss), which, while rare, can be just as bad.

Drinking coffee before training? Find out find out why this is a complete waste of time by clicking here!

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