Water: The Most Anabolic and Most Neglected Nutrient for Bodybuilding, Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we talked about the many functions of water in the human body and the different factors that affect water requirements in bodybuilding.

In this article, I will discuss simple methods that will allow you to know how much water your body needs in order to achieve the best bodybuilding results.

How Much Water Do You Need?

I can provide two simple guidelines that I use on myself and my clients as to how to properly hydrate yourself:

1-Drink (bodyweight in lbs) x 0.66 = ounces of water per day. If your unit of measurement is liters and kg, then use the following formula: (bodyweight in kg) x 0.04 = liters of water per day

While the recommendation of 6-8 glasses of water per day may be good advice for sedentary people, those of us who train hard and do bodybuilding need more water. If you follow the formula above this is a good start! Remember also that thirst is not a good indicator of hydration levels. Some people do not feel thirsty and yet end up dehydrated. Thus, the best way to get in your water is to take a water bottle with you and drink throughout the day. Also, be sure to drink before, during and after your bodybuilding training. These are the times when the body needs water the most.

Here are some guidelines on how much to drink around exercise time:

Before Bodybuilding Training
2 hours before: Drink 500 ml (around 16 ounces) of water
15 minutes before: Drink 200-250 ml (between 8 to 8-1/2 ounces) of water

During Bodybuilding Training
Every 15 minutes: Drink 250 ml – 300 ml (between 8-1/2 ounces to 10 ounces) of water

After Bodybuilding Training
Bodybuilders can drink 500 ml (around 16 ounces) of water depending on the amount of work done during the workout. I also advice a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein drink for those bodybuilders looking to just gain muscle mass or a 1:1 ratio drink for those who are looking to use bodybuilding as a means to lose fat weight.

During Endurance Exercise for Endurance Athletes
Every 15 minutes: Drink 250 ml – 300 ml (between 8-1/2 ounces to 10 ounces) of water
After 90 minutes of exercise drink 250 ml – 300 ml (between 8-1/2 ounces to 10 ounces) of water of a sports drink diluted to no more than 8 percent carbohydrate every 15 minutes.

After Exercise for Endurance Athletes
For endurance athletes training over 90 minutes, weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses. Be sure to drink 600 ml (20 ounces) for every ½ kilo (1-lb) that is lost. Endurance athletes should also consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within the 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.

2-Monitor urine volume output and color. This is an extremely simple but highly accurate method for knowing how well hydrated your body is. A large amount of light colored, diluted urine probably means you are hydrated while dark colored and concentrated urine probably means you are dehydrated. As simple as this sounds, this is a great technique for knowing how your body is doing in terms of hydration.

Other Factors That You Need To Keep In Mind About Your Water Needs

Keep in mind that while the formula above is a great start, there are some factors that can increase your needs for water:

1- Sweating: This is the most obvious factor. Some people sweat more than others and those who sweat more will run a higher risk of dehydration. If you sweat a lot, be sure to drink at the very minimum the recommended in the formulas above. Now, if your urine volume is low and the color is dark then be sure to drink more.

2-Temperature: Hot weather increases your water needs as you sweat more. Cold weather however also increases water needs (as the body uses up water as it produces the heat it needs to stay warm) but the cold can impair you ability to recognize fluid losses and increase fluid lost through respiration. Either way, whether it is hot weather or cold, you need to make sure you drink.

3-Exercise Duration: Endurance athletes that exercise for hours definitely need to drink more than the recommended amount in this article. The American College Of Sports Medicine suggests that for endurance athletes "consumption of beverages containing electrolytes and carbohydrates can help sustain fluid-electrolyte balance and exercise performance." Thus, endurance athletes should also supplement their diets with drink formulas that replace minerals in order to further promote hydration and optimal performance. Sodium and potassium should be included in any mineral product you use in order to help replace sweat electrolyte losses. If the activity lasts 90 minutes or more the use of carbohydrate containing energy gels is also recommended. Carbohydrates not only provide energy during endurance activities but also help to keep the body well hydrated in the presence of water.

4-Altitude: A less known item that affects your hydration levels is altitude. Exercising at high altitudes increases your fluid losses which means that you need to increase your water intake.

Is There Such a Thing as Drinking Too Much Water?

Just so that you know, there is such a thing as drinking too much water so my advice is to be methodical and learn how much you need using the methods describe above. Even though this is not very common, there is a condition called Hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is water intoxication; a condition that occurs when an athlete drinks too much water and that causes the body to have a low concentration of sodium in the blood. This condition can actually be fatal so I just want to make sure that you don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can drink an unlimited amount of water.

Conclusion

As mentioned in this article, everybody has slightly different water needs but there are guidelines that will help you determine your own. Drinking (bodyweight in lbs) x 0.66 = ounces of water per day or (bodyweight in kg) x 0.04 in liters of water per day is a great start. Then based on the activity levels and the conditions under which that activity is performed you can determine how much more water you need over that.