Why Pure Water is Essential for Muscle Building

Introduction

When it comes to building muscle, we often turn to high calorie protein and sports drinks for nourishment. But what we too often neglect, is the power of pure water for not only building muscle mass, but maintaining it.

Building-Muscle101.com says, “Water is all too often overlooked as a muscle builder and its overall importance in maintaining good health cannot be overstated. It is, after all, the most important nutrient in our body in terms of health, growth, and overall development. It is not only the most important nutrient in the body, but the most plentiful.”

If you’re into strength and/or cross training, especially at home, it pays to have pure, filtered water always available for your consumption. One of the best ways to provide your muscles, not to mention your family, with the pure water they crave, is to install one of the many popular water softener systems on the market today. These systems will filter out all the hard deposits like calcium, magnesium, and irons that can get in the way of pure water. It’s almost like having spring water on tap.

So why is water so important? While water doesn’t act in the same way carbohydrates do, it still plays a significant role in the transformation of energy.  Although water does not provide energy in the same way carbohydrates and fat do, it plays a very important role in harnessing energy. Water provides the medium for which all energy reactions are said to take place inside the cells.

That said, you need to drink a lot of it in order to boost your stamina, fuel your body, and build muscle tissue (including protein and glycogen) at any age. Here are four more big reasons why pure water is essential for muscle building:

Water Feeds Muscles

According to the fitness experts at Building-Muscle101.com, when it comes to moving your muscles, you need water. Muscles by their very definition are active tissues, and water will be found in the highest concentrate in all active tissues. Take the converse for example. If your muscles are dehydrated, you’re not going to be making gains in the weight room since your muscles are devoid of crucial electrolytes. What you have to remember is that muscles are controlled by the electrical stimulation of the nerve endings. The expansion and contraction of the muscles are a direct result of the exchange of electrolyte minerals which are dissolved in the water. It’s essential therefore that you drink enough clean, soft water to provide your muscles with these electrolytes. If you wish to build muscle, stay hydrated.

Water Lubricates Your Joints and Muscles

Pure water provides the lubrication your joints require after strenuous workouts. Since it’s a key ingredient of synovial fluid, water is the prime lubricant of the joints. When your diet is lacking in water, even for relatively short periods of time, less lubricant will be delivered to the joints. As you increase the weight in your lifting exercises, the demand on the joints will increase proportionally. This means more lubricating material is required for peak performance and to afford the joints a longer life. If your joints should fail, it’s a long rehabilitation to get them back in working order.

The Amount of Water Your Muscles Need

The experts say you require at minimum, 8 to 12 full cups of water per day in order to replace the fluids you will naturally lose during a rigorous workout. Depending upon a person’s average rate of perspiration, you can expect to lose about 4 cups of H20 per hours of exercise. If you live in a mild climate, you will likely go through about 4 to 8 cups, on average. If you live in and/or are visiting a hot climate, you can lose a lot more, which means you risk dehydrating at a much faster rate. If you aren’t constantly replenishing you body with water, your workout performance will be a disaster and you will also risk injury.

Water Sources Your Muscles Will Thank You For

The water you drink should always come from the cleanest source possible. Perhaps the simplest way to get the water you need is to get it right from the kitchen tap. But this water is all too often contaminated not only with chemicals but hard components like iron and calcium, which aren’t healthy for the body. Some municipality provided water contains pesticides, fluoride, mercury, chlorine, and other harmful substances. The best move is to invest in a water purifier or water filtration system that can make your water as pure as possible. Some water filter systems attach right to the tap and others, like a soft water system, are freestanding.

The Takeaway

If you’re investing the time and energy to improve your body, and build muscle no matter what you age, you must at minimum drink between 8 to 12 full cups of pure water per day. It is the one natural drink that will not only energize your body, but that will help you build muscle tissue while lubricating your joints.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.