Sunday 2.05.12


23:1….The ratio 23:1 represents 23 hours of free time (time spent not working out at The Compound) to your one hour workout (including warm-up, WOD, and stretching). That’s 23 hours that includes hydrating, eating (nutrition), sleeping (recovery), working, playing, etc.

Recovery is just as important as training. Your body needs time to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Recovery includes, but is not limited to: rest, sleep, hydration, good nutrition, stretching, self-massaging (using a foam roller), massage by a professional, and chiropractic care.

We've made cases for several of those recovery techniques, but I wanted to take time to promote another recovery method often neglected.  And this one is Free!  Water.

When I went to a CrossFit Football Certification last year, former NFL Linebacker John Welbourne was talking about the gatorade bottles and cups on the sideline at every game.  Someone asked Welbourne if they were really drinking gatorade at the games (we were having a Paleo discussion at the time, talking about sugars).  Welbourne looked at the guy and said, "Are you kidding?  They are a sponsor, so we had to have the cups and logos there.  But we were drinking water."

"1% state of dehydration will negatively impact your performance by as much as 10 to 12%”.  That is the stated percentages cited by many sources including bodybuilding, boxing, and triathathlete experts, and including Diving schools, and they are surrounded by water! (I was trying to find the study on it to cite the real source, but this is only a lowly gym blog not a respected and internationally recognized member of the Free Press like the blog author at Tactical Operator Conditioning, but i digress).

 Q: How much should everyone drink each day?

 A: You should strive to drink half your bodyweight in ounces a day. Add at least an extra 16 ounces of water for every hour of physical activity. Water weight is a pretty interesting thing.  Some people can measure how much water they lose through respiration and perspiration during a workout by weighing themselves before and after a workout. Every pound of weight lost equals roughly one pint of fluid. A pint is 16 ounces.   But for health and longevity reasons, please do not forego rehydrating yourself after a workout in order to hang onto that pound or two of weight lost.  Unless you are cutting weight for your UFC Fight, then go right ahead.

Some of the places water goes in our body:
 - Muscle consists of 75% water
 - Brain consists of 90% of water
 - Bone consists of 22% of water
 - Blood consists of 83% water

Some of the things water does in our body:
 - Transpsort nutrients and oxygen into cells
 - Moisturizes the air in lungs
 - Helps with metabolism
 - Protect our vital organs
 - Helps our organs to absorb nutrients better
 - Regulates body temperature
 - Detoxifies
 - Protects and moisturizes our joints

 If you are dehydrated you can experience the following:
 - Tiredness and fatigue
 - Headaches and migraines
 - Constipation
 - Muscle cramps
 - Irregular blood pressure
 - Kidney problems
 - Dry skin
 - 20% dehydrated – risk of death

9 Reasons to Drink Water:

1. Weight loss – Water is one of the best tools for weight loss. First of all, because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn’t have any calories. But it’s also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

 2. Heart healthy – Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

3. Energy – Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired….even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated – and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

4. Headache cure – Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it’s simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.

5. Healthy skin – Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

6. Digestive problems - Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water, along with fiber, can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

7. Cleansing – Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

8. Cancer risk – Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

9. Better exercise – Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

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