1. Improve Performance
Water is critical in balancing all of the body’s systems including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and muscles. Just a 2-3% drop in hydration can lead to shrinkage of the brain which impairs neuromuscular coordination, decrease concentration and cause slow thinking.
Common symptoms of this are daytime fatigue, dry skin, constipation, irritability and lack of focus in menial tasks.
Water helps form the structures of protein and glycogen, and if you have insufficient water your body will lose too many electrolytes and cramp, decreasing your strength and endurance.
Get plenty of water and electrolytes to optimize performance.
2. Improves Fat Loss
If your fat cells are well hydrated your body will be primed to use the fat cells as fuel. Water will also suppress the feelings of hunger if you don’t really need food. Drinking water at room temperature is also best for optimal absorption as opposed to ice cold water.
Drinking sufficient amounts of water will help the body process and transport nutrients and excrete any waste products once they are metabolized
3. How much water Should you drink?
Your Body weight in kg x 0.033= the amount you should drink daily
For example, a male who weighs 80 kg should drink a minimum 2.5 Litres of filtered water a day. If he is active it will be at least 1-2 Litres more
This does not include exercise, so you may need a more depending on how hard you train, and how hot your environment is. Some recommendations go as far as increasing your water intake by 4.5 Litres (1 Gallon) on the days you have intense training sessions.
However, Dr Mercola, believes that too much water may be dangerous due to its links with hyponatremia which is a condition where your cells swell with too much water. This can cause your brain to swell which is dangerous.
The recommended amount for people is 8 glasses of water a day. This is usually not enough for most people. Some top health professionals advise 3-4 Litres of filtered water a day.
Gradually increase your intake of water over 2-4 weeks. A glass every couple of days is a good start. This allows your kidneys time to adjust to the increase in fluid.
When the body gets less water, it sees it as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every drop. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention.
We believe you need to listen to your body. If you are thirsty then you are already dehydrated, if your urine is of a dark yellow colour and has a strong smell then you are also dehydrated.
4. Replenishing Electrolytes During your workout and after workouts
Many people make the mistake of using sugary sports drinks to replenish their electrolyte levels. Unfortunately this has a nasty effect on insulin levels and gives you a big up and equally big downer, which can compromise your performance working out.
Pure coconut water is probably the best option for you to use as it is full of essential electrolytes that will help replenish you and avoid the big sugar induced crash that sugary sports drinks give you.
Another tip is to use pink Himalayan salts. Just a pinch in a Litre of water will provide your body with 84 minerals that your body needs to function optimally. You should not taste the salt in the water.
5. Improves the way your muscles look
As optimal hydration improves your performance in the gym, you can push for better workouts, which over a number of sessions will start showing in terms of more developed muscles.
As muscles are primarily made up of water, hydrated muscles look better, improve muscle contractions, reduce sagging skin and the water will fill out the skin, resulting in healthy, resilient looking skin.
Fitness models and body builders commonly load with extreme amounts of water before contests and then dehydrate to look in the best possible condition.