You see it all the time, these bodybuilders just lugging around a gallon of water at school, work, the gym- wherever, it just seems like that gallon jug is surgically attached to their hands.
I’m serious, these guys never even seem to lose it. I lose my phone if it goes out of my line of sight for 5 minutes, and these guys carry a gallon of water around all day like they will die if it’s not within 5 feet of them.
Okay, jokes aside. Why do bodybuilders drink a gallon of water a day?
Bodybuilders drink a gallon of water a day because there are incredible benefits for muscle building and recovery. First, drinking water helps build muscle- and every bodybuilder wants that. But all that working out can make people tired and drinking enough water is key to restoring that energy. Plus, drinking water helps your joints, so it will help reduce the pain of the intense workout before class.
Be careful to not overhydrate though!
But, let’s go a little more in-depth about this.
Why a Gallon?
So the first thing you might be asking is, why do bodybuilders drink a gallon of water everyday? Like, why a gallon? Why not just a few cups of water?
Well, first of all, you need to understand that bodybuilders are often on intense and rigorous programs like Arnold’s Blueprint to Mass. This will easily knock out a significant amount of water in your body, and you’ll need to replenish it.
I honestly feel like when you’re seriously bodybuilding, doing the cardio, and really trying your hardest in the gym- you can lose 24 oz of water minimum. If you’re getting out of the gym with your shirt and pants just dripping of sweat, you’ll probably even need more.
This is why a gallon of water is so significant.
In one gallon, there is 128 oz of water. Daily, most people lose around 50 oz just be existing by doing things like breathing or moving around. Add that 24 oz minimum, and you’re sitting close to 80 oz.
- Total Water Expenditure: 74 oz
Your Body Increases The Water Intake After a Workout
So, have you ever heard of the idea that after you workout, you burn more calories throughout the day than you normally do?
This is called afterburn. This is because your body has an increased demand of energy needed to fix those muscles that were damaged during the workout, reset the normal body systems after that incredible demand, and restore things like ATP- energy to your cells.
‘Afterburn’ can take a long amount of time, and demand a lot of energy. With this increased energy demand, it requires more water.
Your breathing rate can increase, your overall metabolic rate throughout the day increases, and overall energy burnt increases- and this all needs water and oxygen to power it!
Because of this, a lot of bodybuilders find themselves severely dehydrated. And this adds to our total water expenditure, let’s be generous and say this only takes 8oz of water through the day.
- Water burned by doing everyday activities: 50 oz
- Water burned from the workout: 24 oz
- Afterburn: 8 oz
- Total: 82 oz
Bodybuilders Sleep More and Sweat More
Sleeping is almost a double-edged sword for bodybuilders and has been a problem many of them have faced.
Bodybuilders NEED to sleep longer than most people to maximize muscle recovery, but also, when they’re asleep they can’t eat or drink- which can limit the nutrients needed to build muscle.
But generally, when these bodybuilders are sleeping, they actually end up sweating more and burning more energy because they have so much muscle that needs to be repaired.
This is different than a normal person that doesn’t bodybuild or exercise, they typically won’t find themselves starving every single morning because their body isn’t repairing every muscle every single night.
This is also why most athletes sleep better because your body puts you to sleep knowing it is critical for muscle growth. And I mean, who hates good sleep?
I’d estimate you can lose about 30 oz of water in your sleep as a bodybuilder. A normal person loses roughly 24 oz of water in their sleep, and I’d say bodybuilders can sweat a little more due to the extended time and increased body mass.
(I know an argument can be made that due to bodybuilders having stronger hearts, they sweat less- but this depends on person to person).
Total Water Lost: 112 oz
That’s Nearly a Gallon of Water Lost a Day!
Many people that don’t even exercise drink a ton of water everyday. For bodybuilders, they burn EVEN more!
This is why you’ll find a lot of bodybuilders drinking a gallon of water a day, because simply, most of them are replacing nearly what they lose every day working out!
Regardless, this can vary from person to person. Some bodybuilders may lose even more water or sweat all day! And some might just not sweat at all.
Are There Other Benefits From Drinking All That Water?
Yes! There are a ton of benefits that these bodybuilders get from drinking all that water.
First of all, it stops the effects of dehydration. For instance, you can have severe muscle pain or cramps when you’re dehydrated.
Secondly, water does help build muscle! I wrote a whole article about it here.
But, here’s a generalized list, if you’d like more details and facts, feel free to read the article above!
- Boosted muscle recovery
- Boosted muscle growth
- More energy throughout the day
Conclusion of Why Do Bodybuilders Drink A Gallon of Water Everyday?
Simply put, most bodybuilders drink a gallon of water every day because they lose a gallon of water a day and need to replenish it! But, yes, there are true benefits to drinking all that water that helps them inside and out of the gym.
If you’ve been feeling groggy or showing signs of dehydration, be sure to get some more water in you!
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