By: Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
We hear all the time that we need to drink more water, yet very few understand the actual benefits that come along with maintaining proper hydration. Our society is so caught up in sugary beverages that are potentially harmful to health and really serve no benefit in our lives.
While the goal should be to completely eliminate calorie-filled, sugary beverages altogether, what you should be aiming for is at least limiting such beverages and substituting them with water to aid in proper hydration and gain all the benefits that come along with it.
In this article, we will look at 10 reasons proper hydration is the key to optimizing health and performance, as well as the changes you can experience when you start drinking more water throughout the day.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before engaging in any exercise program, diet, or adding any new supplements to your regimen. If you feel you are severely dehydrated, it is recommended that you seek medical attention immediately.
1. Boost Energy Levels
When you’re feeling sluggish throughout the day, your lack of energy could be a fluid issue. Your entire body depends on proper hydration to perform optimally, and when there is a fluid imbalance, or if you’re slightly dehydrated, it causes your body to work harder to pump blood out to the body — which can cause you to feel sluggish and tired.
2. Enhance Brain Function
It has been shown that when you become slightly dehydrated, it can negatively affect brain function and overall cognition. When you aren’t focused on proper hydration, and your body loses fluids and is imbalanced, it can alter your concentration, memory, mood, and cognitive performance. Simply drinking water throughout the day can help reduce your risk of brain fog and other decreases in brain function.
3. Heighten Physical Performance
Whether you’re an elite athlete or simply someone who puts a high demand on your body to perform at the highest level, proper hydration is something you need to pay close attention to. Being that the majority of your body is made of water, dips in hydration levels can decrease your performance considerably — especially if you’re working in the heat where you sweat profusely or exercise at a high intensity that causes your body to sweat in order to lower your body temperature and cool you down.
4. Better Weight Management
Let’s be real, who couldn’t lose a little extra weight they’ve been carrying around? One of the ways you can improve weight loss is through proper hydration. Drinking water throughout the day can help boost your metabolic rate and decrease your hunger levels — making you less likely to overeat at meals. To get the most out of your potential weight loss effectiveness, consume a glass of water around 30 minutes before meals to help trick your brain into thinking the stomach is full, allowing you to eat less.
5. Deliver Oxygen Throughout the Body
Blood that flows throughout your body is made up of around 90% water. Proper hydration can help blood flow more easily, which can better deliver oxygen to the various parts of the body. When there is a slower rate of oxygen getting out to the brain, muscles, and organs of the body, they aren’t able to function optimally, which may cause health-related issues.
6. Remove Toxins from the Body
Your body is constantly recycling what you put into it. Everything from oxygen coming in and carbon dioxide going out to producing energy from the food you consume and then creating waste byproducts due to physical exertion that can form during bouts of exercise or daily tasks that then get excreted through things such as urine. In order to help remove these toxins from the body and prevent them from building up, proper hydration levels are required.
7. Decrease Joint Pain
Depending on your activity level, you’re putting your joints under a lot of stress all day long. The constant pounding on the ankles, knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders can cause pain, inflammation, and immobility issues. Around 80% of the cartilage in your joints is made up of water. Proper hydration can help keep your joints healthy by creating more of a “cushion” for your joints and helping them stay well-lubricated to provide a smoother surface and cause less friction from taking place.
8. Lower the Risk of Dehydration
Dehydration can be fatal if not properly managed. Several adverse health effects can occur when the body becomes dehydrated, and proper fluids and electrolytes are not replenished. Anyone who is exposed to hot weather or engages in high-intensity activity or exercise needs to focus on proper hydration to prevent dehydration from creeping in and causing issues.
9. Improve Skin Health
Father Time waits for no one, and if you want to help slow down the aging process and look more youthful, you need to focus on your skin. Your skin is the protective barrier that helps keep moisture in your body, as well as your skin being made up of a good amount of water itself. When your body is lacking fluid, it can cause your skin to look dry and increase fine lines and wrinkles. While you could spend hundreds of dollars on fancy skincare creams and such, a great place to start is through proper hydration.
10. Support Digestive Health
Your body requires water to properly digest the food you eat. Not consuming enough water throughout the day can cause your digestive tract to get backed up and cause issues like constipation. Proper hydration is key when looking to increase the function of the digestive system and absorption of crucial nutrients your body needs to function optimally. Maintaining proper hydration can keep things moving in the digestive tract and reduce your risk of digestion issues.
Maximize Hydration Levels and Muscle Growth
It should go without saying that your body demands proper hydration levels in order to function optimally. When it comes to maximizing hydration and supporting muscle growth, you can do a couple of things to kill two birds with one stone. MuscleSport has two particular products that can check off both boxes and simplify the whole process.
The first product to consider is BCAA Revolution. This amino acid supplement has been one of our flagship BCAA supplements for quite some time. With more than a dozen delicious flavors to choose from, your tastebuds will celebrate with any flavor you choose. The profile utilizes our ElectroREV™ Hydration Matrix, which is made up of essential electrolytes like sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium citrate. Additionally, BCAA Revolution includes our mTOR Lean Muscle Amino Matrix, which utilizes an industry-leading 10:1:1 BCAA complex to support muscle growth and repair.
Related Article: A Closer Look at BCAAs and Whey They Are Essential
Then we have one of our newest additions to the MuscleSport family of products — Creatine + Hydration. You may be familiar with our Creatine Revolution and may even include it as one of the staples in your regimen. We took the same 5g serving of creatine monohydrate and formulated it with an insane and unique hydration blend. Creatine + Hydration is a next-level hydration matrix that, on top of heavily researched creatine monohydrate, it includes our trademarked ElectroREV™ Hydration Matrix, taurine, organic coconut water powder, Himalayan pink salt, and patented Astragin®, which has been shown to help increase creatine absorption by as much as 33%.
Try our mouth-watering BCAA Revolution and/or newly added Creatine + Hydration to help maximize hydration levels and support your muscle-building efforts!