If you have not read the article written by Blythe Alberg entitled, How Water Consumption Effects Fat Loss, I highly recommend that you do so. The article explains how we simply do not get enough water, how dehydration can short circuit fat loss results and exactly how much water you should drink when implementing a fat loss program. This article will explain how low grade dehydration can impact performance in the gym. Those who listen to our podcast know that I am a proponent of intense workouts for fat loss, however, many people find that their energy fails them shortly into the workout. Recent research suggests that dehydration may be to blame for fatigue in the gym. In fact, not only does performance suffer but so does your body’s hormone response to exercise when you are dehydrated! This is a huge setback because the hormone response that you get from exercise is a core factor in getting results. So what does the research show us?
- 1 rep maximum decreased significantly when people were dehydrated.
- The more lean the subject, the more dehydration impacts strength
- Dehydration prevented trained athletes from performing as many repetitions as hydrated subjects
- Dehydration decreases muscle power by up to 20%
- Dehdration stunted testosterone production
- Dehydration increased cortisol, a stress hormone that breaks down muscle
Bottom Line: Dehydration decreases strength, power and endurance. This results in poor performance and significantly depressed hormones needed for fat loss and muscle growth. For goodness sake DRINK YOUR WATER!