Nearly all the articles on the nutrition of a bodybuilder have a parting short that goes like; drink as much water as you can
. Personally I never liked the whole idea of 8 glasses of water even before I started working out. Now I'm required to take more than the traditional 8 glasses of water a day! I'm the kind of person who would rather grab a soda after a meal rather than half a glass of water. In short, I perfectly understand the struggle many have when it comes to drinking water.
What made me be more inclined to taking it is the realization of just how important water is to my body. So, back to the basics of a bit of high school biology. Here are a few of the most important functions of water on the body.
1. Regulation of the body temperature
Metabolism is a process that constantly takes place in the body and heat is a result of it. The metabolism of bodybuilders is much higher and faster meaning that the body constantly needs to be fanned down. The biological and chemical processes in the body take place in a given environment. Temperature is one of the conditions that have to be maintained within a certain range if the body is to function in optimal levels. Sweating is a mechanism that allows the body to cool off when it becomes overheated. When the sweat evaporates from the surface of your body, it produces a cooling effect which brings down the temperature of the body to its normal levels. You will be surprised as to how much water your body looses in just one exercise session a day. You need to constantly replenish your water supply by taking a lot of water. Early in the morning before you do your morning cardio, take some water to prevent dehydration.
2. Waste removal
Another byproduct of metabolism apart from heat is waste materials. Water removes them from the body through urine, water and feces. You might wonder what role water plays when your going for a long dump. If you've ever suffered from constipation then I guess your question is already answered. I suffered from constipation once and I had to be hospitalized. I discovered that there are still many ways that can be used to torture a person without having to hit them on the face! Water practically cleans out all your internal mess and flushes it out.
3. It is a medium for reactions
Nearly all the processes in the body take place in the presence of water. The fact that nearly 70% of the human body is water just shows exactly important it is to your body to have it in the required amounts. Proteins, for example, function in low viscosity fluids. This means that the more amount of water in your body, the better your protein functions. The same case applies also for enzymes.
4. Means of transport
Water forms the most volume of blood. This means that it is essential in the transportation of oxygen and minerals.