CROSSFIT SUFFOLK   ***  Forging Elite Fitness

Amie

How Much Water Should You Drink?    This topic should be simple, but there are some commonly held myths and misconceptions that persist. 

From Newsweek (December 27, 2007), The Top 7 Health Myths: " #5. You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. The source for this myth may be a 1945 article from the National Research Council that claims that a "suitable allowance" of water for adults is 2.5 liters a day, although the last sentence of the article notes that much of that water is already contained in the food we eat. Existing studies suggest that that often-omitted fact is key to understanding water intake. We get enough fluids from our typical daily consumption of juice, milk and even caffeinated drinks. And drinking too much water can cause water intoxication, a severe electrolyte imbalance in which cells swell with excess fluid, and even death."

One observation we have made in the gym is that the athletes who have complained about cramps during or after a workout had one thing in common: They drank an excessive amount of water prior to the workout.  We don't have an official count on what "excessive" is, but from what we could gather it's roughly 16-32 ounces or more within half hour to the starting point of the workout.  Studies have been done to support the observation.

Answering the question that started this post isn't that easy.  Body weight, type of exercise, duration of exercise, temperature, sweat rate and diet are all factors in staying properly hydrated.  The first highlighted article above, by Charles Poliquin, states that you need between .6 and .7 ounces of water for every pound of body weight.  As a 155 lb. male I need between 93 and 108.5 ounces of water a day according to this guideline. 

Max Wunderle of CrossFit Endurance (video) states you need half your bodyweight in ounces not factoring in exercise.  While working out you need an additional 16-20 ounces per hour of exercise above the half-your-bodyweight-in-ounces base.  According to this my base would be about 77 ounces of water.  If I'm working out for an hour I need roughly 93-97 ounces of water.

As with other nutritional concerns, it's good practice to have clear, sound guidelines and monitor what works for you.  If you have no idea how much water you consume it's time to start paying attention.

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Soft Tissue Work For Tough Guys  This is an old one (2006) but good one from Tony Gentilcore via TMuscle.com.  Tough women should read it as well.  Many of you probably know we're big fans of Active Release Therapy (ART).  This article addresses doing your own soft tissue maintenance.  Upon hearing words like "soft tissue work", "myofacial release" or "active release" the intial reaction to the uninitiated is "I don't think I need that".  If you train consistently with intensity YOU DO NEED IT.  If you don't need it right now there will come a point when you will.  Learn about "maintenance".  Think of it as a way of enhancing your workouts.  If lack of flexibility due to injury or scar tissue build-up is holding you back then understanding and practicing soft tissue maintenance may be the missing option you didn't know you needed!

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We listen to a wide variety of music while working out.  Lately our favorite song to workout to is Promontory from The Last Of The Mohicans movie soundtrack.  Thanks to "Soccer Mike" for bringing it in.  If you saw the film and liked it you'll know the song…it's inspiring!

Apparently director Michael Mann feels the same way.  Below is a Nike commercial featuring Shawne Merriman and Steven Jackson of the NFL.   Promontory provides the soundtrack for the commercial.  Michael Mann directed both the Last Of The Mohicans (1992) and the Nike commercial (2007). It'll also provide a little extra boost to your soul!  (Thanks to Georgie for pointing this out!)