I don't drink water. Does this affect my workouts?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by flutterfists, Apr 13, 2006.

  1. flutterfists

    flutterfists Valued Member

    I'll say it again, just for extra emphasis.

    I don't drink water.

    Unless I force myself to, that is. I'm a huge lemonade drinker - best stuff in the world, IMO - and I love Gatorade and Kool-Aid. I drink pop about once a month. After having three cavities filled during one dental visit, that pretty much killed my desire for the fizzy goodness.

    But anyway. I've been like this most of my life - not drinking water, that is - and every once in a while, I get all motivated to drink it. Usually lasts about a week.

    Am I limiting muscle growth and development? Am I increasing risk for injury, or worse, am I already injuring myself? Like I said, I drink lots of Gatorade, I've heard it's really good for athletes (haven't we all?). But is it a proper substitute?

    I've made a promise to myself that this summer, I'm gonna get in shape from running. I've been lifting weights more, too, and I'm trying increase my push-up endurance. I wanna do it right.

    Gimme some advice, guys.
     
  2. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    Drink water, Gatorade is not a substitute.
     
  3. Jamo2

    Jamo2 The Louie Vitton Don

    Mix squash with it.
    Lemonade is no good for ya. And Gatorade isnt either, only pre/post workout.
     
  4. holyheadjch

    holyheadjch Valued Member

    Newsflash, gatorade consists largely of water.
    Fizzy Drinks = Bad Bad Bad Bad
     
  5. Jamo2

    Jamo2 The Louie Vitton Don

    Plus a crap load of sugar.
    And just read the other thread. By squash i mean a small strong drink that you dilute with water. If you look hard then youll find a low sugar one but still tastes wicked. Meaning its like drinking fruit juice, but its 90% water.
     
  6. Dr.Syn

    Dr.Syn Valued Member

    What he said...
     
  7. Brad Ellin

    Brad Ellin Baba

    Yes, you are harming yourself. Your body is made up of mostly water. By depriving yourself of water, you are harming your body. Sport drinks and fruit juices are no substitute for water. All the sugars and crap in them. And in some cases the water is there only to transport that crap into your system, it's not enough to hydrate you.
    Are you having problems with bowel movements? Constipation or hard stool (think rabbit pellets) are signs of dehydration.
    Matter of fact, the average person siffers from dehydration and doesn't even realize it.
    I drink lots of water and tea. 1 to 2 glasses of tea each day. I've had a total of 6 beers in the last 2 years and maybe 6 glasses of wine in the last year. Otherwise, water is my drink of choice.
     
  8. flutterfists

    flutterfists Valued Member

    Nope. I've never felt rabbit poo before, but I know what you're talking about.
     
  9. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    What colour is your urine, if it is dark or anything other than pale or clear you are dehydrated, you need water to disolve impurities, digest carbs and proteins, transport minerals round your body. My GFs brother had stones because he was drinking to little water for his diet.
     
  10. flutterfists

    flutterfists Valued Member

    It's usually a light gold. I guess that's not too good.
     
  11. Vigilance

    Vigilance Valued Member

    The importance of water in your diet, especially for athletes, is well documented. Do a search on the internet, and you will find plenty of articles and studies regarding the benefits of proper water intake.

    Gatorade & kool-aid are crap, don't kid yourself.
     
  12. Freeform

    Freeform Fully operational War-Pig Supporter

    No, it's not good.

    You should be constantly sipping water during your workout between sets/rounds. If you're sweating you're loosing water and it has to be replaced. Not only your health can be damaged, but your performance to, think how much better you could be for a extra litre of water :)
     
  13. stimilus

    stimilus New Member

    Better yet, since you like lemonade so much, drink water with lemon in it. This will help heal your throat after your keeya. Many tend to yell alot and often this hurts their throat.
     
  14. rtkd-badger

    rtkd-badger Fundimentaly Manipulated

    I dont know how you can do it, I drink up to 6L per day
     
  15. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Now I agree with the general point, but not with this.

    I don't think sweating has any affect on performance for at least 40 mins assuming you're properly hydrated in the first place.

    I'm sick and tired of people taking a "drinks break" during training after 10 mins because they've watched too many Evian commercials.

    Keep yourself properly hydrated all the time.

    Work hard and forget about hydration during exercise unless you're an endurance athlete.

    At the end of a session keep drinking water until you really, really nead a wee. Or just imagine how much you've sweated (how wet is your gym gear/training suit?) and drink the equivelant.

    Basically your wee should be the colour of straw all the time. Drinking during an hour of exercise is wasting time. Drink afterwards.

    Mitch
     
  16. Poop-Loops

    Poop-Loops Banned Banned

    In general, I agree. In training, I disagree. I always felt drained while training if I only drank regular water. Gatorade or some sugary knock-off helps a lot, just due to the sugar.
     
  17. Song1

    Song1 New Member

    Water is good for you, but i sure don't drink alot of it. It could never replace that warm spot in my heart that i have for fizzy drinks.
     
  18. wazzabi

    wazzabi sushi eater

    you should be drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. since you're active, maybe even more. i'm a bit rusty on the exact number, but i've learned in my athletic therapy class that you lose 1500ml of water a day when you DON'T exercise. just think of how much more you lose when you sweat & pant when training. more like 3000-5000ml's a day if the workout's heavy enough.

    when you drink juices like lemonade & even Gatorade, those drinks are filled with solutes, powders that are only good at one thing: soaking up & absoring water. that's why sometimes you notice you get even more thirsty after you drink pop. it's because the sugars are soaking up saliva in your mouth & water in other parts of your body once it's moving through your digestive system, just like a sponge.

    hope that helps :rolleyes:
     
  19. TigerDude

    TigerDude Valued Member

    These posts have some off the worst-sounding science I have heard. More thirsty after drinking gatorade?

    The water you need can come in any form (even jello if you like). The sugars in the drinks aren't necessarily good for you (and are no different from pop for your teeth), but this has nothing to do with hydration. Water is water, no matter what is in it, unless it's alcohol or caffeine.
     
  20. The main ingredient in my toothpaste is water. Will that do? :p
     

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