This week I want to take a break from the “Underrated & Underworked Muscles” FTF mini-series I’ve been doing the last several weeks in order to hit on one of the most underrated and under-applied aspects of all training in general – and that’s proper hydration (with water)!!!
If you’re like the vast majority of people… you drink when you feel thirsty. Well I’m here to tell you that if you feel thirsty, it’s ALREADY TOO LATE!! That is your body telling you that you’re already dehydrated, which means you are already losing out on gains!
And for one reason or another, I’ve noticed that many weightlifters will drink a ton during and right after their workout… but not enough throughout the rest of the day, which is just as important! (Note: Drinking enough BEFORE your workout is even more important than drinking DURING and AFTER it! More details below.)
I won’t even go into all the general health consequences of dehydration… suffice it to say that it negatively affects every single organ system and process in the body.
But most importantly for the purposes of this newsletter, studies have repeatedly shown that a lack of adequate hydration slows down the synthesis of new muscle proteins, and increases the rate of muscle protein breakdown. It also significantly decreases your strength, power, and endurance during workouts – which further compounds the protein issues I just mentioned.
On the flip side, sufficient hydration causes cellular swelling (increase in size), and activates something called the MAPK pathway to boost muscle protein synthesis and decrease breakdown! (Note: Recent studies suggest that hydrogen-rich water is even better at this than “normal” water, and provides other unique resistance training benefits!)
And if you happen to be taking creatine, the above consequences – whether good or bad – are likely amplified even more! (Although there’s some controversy around whether that’s true).
So what exactly is “adequate” hydration?? How much water should you be drinking?
Studies recommend an approximate minimum of ~4 liters per day for men, and ~3 per day for women, although if you’re sweating a lot through the day you’ll need to drink more to make up for that. And in general, the more the merrier! Drinking more than you think you need has been shown to lower blood pressure, increase body temperature, dilute blood waste materials, and protect kidney function, in addition to the muscular benefits already discussed.
Is it possible to drink too much? Yes, and it’s dangerous. But it’s also really hard… you essentially have to be pushing yourself past the point of feeling sick. So just be smart.
And while it’s important to hydrate throughout the day… there are two or three times of the day that yield the greatest benefits:
1) Right after you wake up
2) Within 1-2 hours BEFORE you work out (~500mL)
3) If you’re trying to lose weight by eating less… drinking ~500mL of water immediately before a meal will significantly increase feelings of satiety (being full) with a smaller amount of food! (Cool hack eh?)
Application: Drink more water!!!
Relevant Research Article(s):
1) Effect of hydration state on strength, power, and resistance exercise performance
2) Role of metabolic stress for enhancing muscle adaptations: Practical applications
Related Dr. Gains YouTube Video(s):
1) 6 Reasons Why WEIGHT Training is BETTER Than CARDIO For Long-Term Weight / Fat Loss (25+ Studies) 🔥
Dr. Gains 
Leave a comment