Happy Monday. Last week in honor of National Cheese Day we went over how to make a quick, easy, and protein packed snack as a post-workout treat. This week I thought I’d elaborate again on workout nutrition.

While I’m a strong advocate of an intra-workout drink, I still believe these have to be paired with one of the most vital things that human existence relies upon – clean water.

In order to stay hydrated. There are numerous, numerous rolls water plays in your body and like some of you may have heard in the military, when it comes to water you have two options: “hydrate or die”.

I go into much, much more depth about the importance of water in both of my nutrition books but for now, that’s the most important thing to remember.

Let’s get started.

Workout Nutrition DIY: Add This To Your Water and Watch Your Fatigue Drop.

 

Water isn’t the only thing your body relies on, though.

With any type of activity, either work related or leisure, that involves sweating and pushing your body to its limit, your can lose a severe amount of electrolytes through the skin, or more specifically, perspiration/sweat.

Water can flush sodium out too, when consumed too fast, and in too large of a quantity.

You see where I’m going with this – balance is key.

So what’s the best thing to add to your water during a workout, or any activity that involves sweating in combination with a high level of effort?

Salt.

More specifically, the sodium in salt. It’s not so cut and dry though – what type of salt is what’s really important here, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Alright so sodium and water are antagonist in that they complement each other. Having too much of either one can cause imbalances – so if you throw back too much water, you’ve got too much oxygen, and if you throw back too much sodium, you’ve gone and shot your blood pressure up too much.

By the way, sodium is a good thing when it comes to blood pressure – if you’ve already read either SUPP up nutrition books, you’ll know why this is true, and the other benefits of ensuring your sodium is kept to an optimum level. If you haven’t, well…you know what to do.

There’s loads of benefits to sodium but the most important one I’ll mention in this post is this:

if you’re lifting heavy, training hard, or out on an op for days where the weather is mind-blowing hot, fatigue is your biggest enemy. Sodium helps combat this, in that it minimizes fatigue by flushing out the toxins caused by it when added to water. This can lead to a load of benefits, including being able to workout longer, while maintaining healthier, better hydrated muscles – a hydrated muscle is a fuller looking muscle, so there’s obvious “aesthetic” benefits there, too (big biceps intimidate anyone).

 

Do yourself a favor – don’t go out and buy sodium/electrolyte tablets – put bluntly, they’re bunk. Manufacturers focus on taste rather than function, making the actual amount of sodium in each tablet so low it ends up being a waste of money (I went through plenty in my early days of training).

There’s a much better way you can get your sodium boosted which I elaborate on in SUPP UP…On The Go and SUPP UP…At Home. The quick and dirt answer is by adding some salt to your water – but the type of salt is important! The amount is even more important – it’s a delicate balancing act – too much and you’ll make yourself throw up – too little and you’re not replenishing your body’s sodium levels adequately.

Which brings me to my next point – everyone’s required levels are different (yes, in that sense, you are a unique snowflake, sunshine).

Taking this into consideration, the amount of money you’d have to spend in order to get your sodium up to the right levels for you, may put a big hit on your wallet if you’re buying electrolyte tabs.

So save yourself some cash by figuring out exactly how much sodium you need on a daily basis, and the best types of salt to get it from – the fastest way to do that is by picking up a copy of either SUPP UP nutrition book (you can get either as instant downloads on the site or as paperbacks.

You’ll learn how much your body needs according to your specific level of exertion, lean mass, and overall lifestyle, in addition to also discovering the best food sources to get your sodium from.

The info outlined in both books can’t really be faulted as I’ve tried and tested every which way under the sun over several years as to how to get my sodium intake and finally found the best ways to do it, without the headache of becoming consumer-reliant on supplements found in your local health shop.

And now time to plug away (these muscles ain’t gonna feed themselves)…

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If you really liked this post, but don’t have the SUPP UP. books yet, buy either SUPP UP. On The Go or SUPP UP. At Home E-BOOKS now, and discover another sexy little mineral that helps water and sodium out – potassium (preview of chapters available in shop).

Both nutrition books work very well in conjunction with my workout guide, SUPP UP. No Bull, Gym In A Bag Workout Guide, which provides guidance on the best portable workout equipment to own, a breakdown of how muscles are and can be effectively worked, and customizable workout plans. If you haven’t already check it out now, either in paperback or as an e-book.

Drop by next week for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Workout Nutrition DIY: Add This To Your Water and Watch Your Fatigue Drop. is a post from and appeared first on SUPP UP.

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Photo Credit:
Photo 1: Max Winkler
Photo 2: Wesley Quinn