Health & Fitness / skin

Staying properly hydrated throughout the day is something you need to consistently pay attention to. That’s because your quality of life depends on it. Adequate hydration is not something you just half do, if you’re seeking optimal health. While the health benefits of hydration are almost limitless, here’s a few of the best reasons to drink up!

Muscle growth

Sure, you may not be looking to replicate Ronnie Coleman’s guns, but if you’re wishing to add definition to your Spongebob legs, you need to know about the very important link between muscle growth and hydration.

Water helps to transport nutrients to your muscles, which can be made up of a whopping 75% water. With protein being the building blocks of life, and amino acids the essential nutrients for growth, it helps to understand the importance of replacing fluids lost throughout your workout. There are so many essential vitamins needed for muscle repair and recovery such as vitamin C, D and E, that also need to be driven to select muscle groups.

Without water, you lose overall strength, and in turn gains through weight lifting. In fact, losing as little as 1-2% of your body weight in water is enough to suffer negatively.

Hydration shouldn’t just start when you walk through that gym door. Rather, make sure your water intake is consistent throughout your day, in order to increase focus, improve performance and avoid early fatigue throughout your workout. If you’ve ever struggled to break through a plateau, you might just find that you’ve overlooked your hydration needs, a mistake more common than you might know! 

Healthy heart function

Staying adequately hydrated, especially around heavy exercise, allows your heart to function at peak performance, as it freely pumps blood around the body without added strain.

When you become dehydrated, the amount of blood that circulates around your body slows, yet your heart has to work a lot harder to maintain blood pressure. Plasma, which is the liquid portion of blood is made up of 92% water!

Ever heard of that incredibly fit athlete in his mid 30’s, who suddenly collapsed from a sudden heart attack on the field? A 2016 study found that even minor dehydration can lead to arterial hardening and cardiovascular disease. Moral of the story; make a point to stay ultra-hydrated if you lead an active life!

Glowing skin

No amount of anti-ageing cream will work, if you don’t moisturize your skin from the inside out. Passing by a stranger in the street that exhibits radiant skin, speaks volumes as to how much they invest in their overall health.

Hydration is one of the number one steps that simply can’t be overlooked for a youthful glow, as water is one of the best nutrients to help flush toxins from pores. And you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars in the process!

Leading studies show that water helps to lubricate the upper layers of skin, improves overall structure and dramatically improves elasticity. If your goals are to clear up acne, dry or flaky skin and even skin tightness, then look no further than that tall glass of water!

As you can see, water is absolutely vital for so many important functions throughout the body. Staying properly hydrated throughout the day is essential for kicking gym goals, supporting a healthy heart, glowing skin and overall optimal health. There’s no doubt about it, water is nature’s most important nutrient in life.

By: Shannon Davidson