Q: I have read about how some health studios have their pupils drink water during a workout. On the other hand some writers warn against it stating that it will wash minerals from the body to have it so saturated with water, or that it will result in injury to work out with the bladder so full and a number of other things. What do you recommend regarding this? I understand that in studios where the pupils drink water during workouts they make fast gains in bodyweight and development.
A: This is a question on which no definitive facts have been presented to prove that it is at all harmful to drink water during a workout. We can cite you two of the largest and most successful studios on the west coast who have their pupils drink water during a workout and provide special containers for this purpose. Although we have not counted them, we believe that the majority of the studios now follow the practice of having their pupils drink water during their workouts. Some of them drink from the fountain and others from special bottles. In no instance have I known of any of the dire consequences predicted, resulting from this practice.
May we consider a few facts? The physiologists tell us that about 75% of the bodyweight of an adult is WATER. Yet these critics tell us that if we drink so much water we will become waterlogged or saturated like a sponge. They tell us that we will ruin our kidneys. That all the minerals of the body will be washed out. Some of them even go so far as to state that we need very little water and that we would be better off not to drink too much. As far as we are concerned, their arguments are ridiculous.
Some men will sweat out pounds of water per workout. Surely there is no harm in replacing this water. It would be impossible to gain if we didn't. The only minerals that we know that might be lost is the salt that comes out when we sweat. There are some few instances where the taking of a little salt is justified to replace that lost by profuse sweating. However, these instances are not nearly so numerous as some would have us believe.
It requires extreme heat and hard labor to perspire to this extent. Salt tablets used to be provided for workmen to take in the belief that they were needed. In a few instances they were, but usually they were not. The little salt dispensers have now disappeared from these places as just another fad.
If over three-fourths of the bodyweight is water then why isn't it reasonable to believe that one of the most important, if not the most important, features of a weight-gaining and muscle-building program is the addition of large quantities of water? These health studios have recognized this fact and thus their insistence that the pupil drink large quantities of water during a workout. Such men as Reeves, Delinger, and many other greats who have trained at Ed Yarkick's have followed this practice as do all Yarick pupils. They seem to have suffered no serious consequences. These studios have made a careful study of these things and with their businesses depending on their success, can't afford to make mistakes.
The question then arises as to how much water should be taken. Here again, I believe, there is much misunderstanding. The critics are under the impression that these fellows drink gallons of water during a workout. They have read of some fellow who tried himself out to see how much he could drink and what would happen. They have taken this exception and used it as a basis of their criticism. Most of the men in these studios drink about a quart of water during a workout. Certainly this is a very little amount. Occasionally a man drinks two quarts. We feel this is much better from a health and muscle-building angle than drinking no water at all during a workout. Of course the water is never cold. This is the reason for the containers. It allows the water to warm up to room temperature.
Most of the west coast studios have a juice bar and the men drink fruit juices both during and after the workout. We would not recommend the drinking of fruit juices or milk during a workout, although those who do seem to suffer no harm at all. It would seem that the energy used for digesting the fruit juices or milk should be used for exercise. However, here again we would not want to be dogmatic about it as our statements are just opinions.
Amazing results have been attributed to the drinking of water during workouts. If the system works and nothing but good appears to come from it why condemn it because of a bunch of unproven theories.
This is quite a deep subject and one that requires a lot of research. However, when through, we would still just have a book full of opinions of men who thought they had discovered some facts concerning it.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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