How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?

How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
by Marc David

bodybuilding physique. With that in mind, I think the new standard for us should be
1-2 gallons of water a day.

As a bodybuilder, you are putting much more nutrients, food, supplements, and other
stuff into your body. What your body does not use, it must rid itself of by any means
necessary. Usually it does this via water. So drinking plenty of water becomes a
necessity. Increasing protein puts a strain on your body and drinking lots of water
can keep things "moving." Creatine monohydrate supplementation requires a lot of
water. Creatine is all about cell volumization. Making sure your cells are completely
hydrated helps with the volumization process. NO2, a hemodilator, requires water.
Many other supplements require water as a transport and a flushing method.

The side effects of drinking too little water are an excess buildup of certain chemicals.
Creatine can leave behind some buildup that overtime, becomes a bit hard to pass.
Putting such a strain on the body is also self-defeating. But don't get me wrong, it's
not just about Creatine and NO2. It's about making sure you are hydrated.

Being properly hydrated has it's benefits other then just the flushing methods and cell
volumization discussed above. Your state of alertness is affected by your hydration
levels. Performance in the gym by a hydrated body is enhanced. Your body is roughly
70% water. It makes sense to hydrate it. Drinking water is not just for hot days. It's
for intense workouts in the gym. In fact, being hydrated has that perpetual pump
that is so sought after.

There can be too much of a good thing. Drinking water to excess leads to water
intoxication, referred to as hyponatremia. As you consume water, blood plasma
increases and dilutes the salt content of the blood. While this is happening, you lose
more salt by sweating. Consequently the amount of salt available to the body tissues
decreases and over time, the loss interferes with brain, heart and muscle functions.
Water intoxication is more commonly found in endurance athletes.

Drink plenty of water per day, but just keep in mind, there can be too much of a
good thing. Being properly hydrated is necessary for optimum performance in the
gym and for keeping your body performing well.

About The Author

Marc David is a bodybuilder, writer, and author of the the e-book "The Beginner's
Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding" (BGFB): What Every Beginner Should Know but
Probably Doesn't. Marc has written over 20 articles and has been featured in several
health and fitness websites. Marc's opinionated and informative articles on
bodybuilding, weight loss and training are featured regularly on:
To subscribe to Marc's free b-weekly e-zine, visit the Freedomfly website here:

I'm always amazed at how many
people seem to know the answer to
this question yet in practice they fail.
Everybody I've talked to seems to
know that 8-12 glasses of water a
day is the recommended standard.
But if I ask them how many glasses
of water have you consumed today?
The answer is usually none. Or the
other standard answer at a corporate
environment "does coffee count?"

While 8-12 glasses of water is great
for the average sedentary person,
many of us are fitness conscious or
on the pursuit of some type of

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.