cshowe80 wrote:
Hydrating is a priority for some and others it's not. I myself drink 4.2L a day (6x700ML Bottle) and I do it in a very regimented way. Keeping the water flowing into your system at an even pace is the key here. Getting 4.2L a day in a short burst won't allow for absorption. I drink 1 full 700ML bottle with every meal (B/L/D) and the reason is it increases the feeling of fullness which leads to better portion control for me. Many people actually snack more than they should because they misinterpret their body's thirst signals as hunger signals (or that is one theory). In between meals I sip on the other half of my daily water intake every 15-20 minutes to keep things even throughout the day. Yes this comes with an increased need for bathroom trips but, we should get up and move every couple hours anyway so it's a handy biological alert to get that done.
One other thing I'll note from personal experience is that drinking more water helped me loose weight. By questioning whether or not I was hungry or thirsty before eating/drinking anything I was able to subdue the craving with a few mouth fulls of water. It was such a small adjustment to make to be conscious of this otherwise habitual snacking trend. 0 Calories in water definitely goes a long way in getting to optimal race weight.
About the ONLY valid reason to carry around water. If it helps reduce snacking, that is good, but the whole 8x8oz of water came about because, when the water consumption of healthy people was tracked, they averaged this amount. This failed to note that the reason they drank that much was that they.....they....wait.....wait.....EXERCISED MORE.
I drink to thirst. When acclimated to the heat, I typically run 1:30+ in 100-104degF without water and I don't PREhydrate. I have fluids in my car, to which I can divert every 3 miles, but when I once forgot the bottles, I didn't really miss the water.
I think it is hilarious to see guys in the gym, doing strength training, carrying a gallon jug of water that they down at every opportunity.
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Dick
Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.