Water weight with exercise question

angelsja

So I've started a new exercise program which is 6 weeks long 5 workout days 2 off days Iam sore in my legs so obviously will be retaining water. My question is will working out on already sore muscles make me retain MORE water and therefore take the scale EVEN longer to catch up. How long should I realistically expect water retention to last before it could be something else.

Dilvish

water retention isn't just caused by sore muscles. The scale doesn't indicate how much water you retain.

Keep in mind too that things like too much sodium intake or too little magnesium can also be the culprits of water retention, assuming that is your issue.

If your muscles get too sore, try warm/hot sitz baths (epsom salts) and increase your protein intake to help rebuild the muscle quicker. Make sure you are also getting plenty of water because it actually helps you rid the retention.

angelsja

Dilvish wrote: »

water retention isn't just caused by sore muscles. The scale doesn't indicate how much water you retain.

Keep in mind too that things like too much sodium intake or too little magnesium can also be the culprits of water retention, assuming that is your issue.

If your muscles get too sore, try warm/hot sitz baths (epsom salts) and increase your protein intake to help rebuild the muscle quicker. Make sure you are also getting plenty of water because it actually helps you rid the retention.

I do take Epsom salt baths and drink a gallon of water every day + hot beverages I know water weight isn't just cause by sir muscles but I know what foods cause me to retain water things like pasta & pickle things which I haven't been eating recently

MikePTY

I would give any sort of plan at least a month to see if it is working. That gives you time to work through things like water retention and see what the real impact is.

angelsja

Does water weight increase the more you exercise for example the program I'm doing is progressive so the weeks following will get harder will this = more water retention therefore mean the scale will be even slower/not move Vs if I wasn't exercising?

HoneyBadger302

How long it lasts is going to depend on a number of factors, not the least of which is how your body is going to react to it.

For example, after a race or intense track weekend, the scale will generally jump 2-5 pounds for me (the record was 7), and it will hang on up to nearly a full week (5-7 days) before I'm back to "normal." That's assuming my regular workouts remain about the same during that time.

Some of that is sore muscles, inflammation, etc. Some of it is straight up water retention from drinking a lot of hydration mixes (getting dehydrated during a race is beyond dangerous). I've seen it happen enough to know this is the routine (no, I don't like it, but it is what it is).

You may just need to see how your body reacts. If you're upping the intensity of your workouts during the entire time, it may take a couple weeks or more before you see the scale numbers start to drop again.

angelsja

HoneyBadger155 wrote: »

How long it lasts is going to depend on a number of factors, not the least of which is how your body is going to react to it.

For example, after a race or intense track weekend, the scale will generally jump 2-5 pounds for me (the record was 7), and it will hang on up to nearly a full week (5-7 days) before I'm back to "normal." That's assuming my regular workouts remain about the same during that time.

Some of that is sore muscles, inflammation, etc. Some of it is straight up water retention from drinking a lot of hydration mixes (getting dehydrated during a race is beyond dangerous). I've seen it happen enough to know this is the routine (no, I don't like it, but it is what it is).

You may just need to see how your body reacts. If you're upping the intensity of your workouts during the entire time, it may take a couple weeks or more before you see the scale numbers start to drop again.

Thanks just stay the course and try to have patience eeeeek not easy for me but thank you for answering my question

AnnPT77

angelsja wrote: »

Does water weight increase the more you exercise for example the program I'm doing is progressive so the weeks following will get harder will this = more water retention therefore mean the scale will be even slower/not move Vs if I wasn't exercising?

Water weight from exercise doesn't just increase and increase. Generally, you get the initial decrease, then - depending on the exercise demand - that either sticks around until fat loss outpaces it, or it drops off once your body adapts to the exercise level.

(IMO, the "stick around" thing is more likely to happen if you keep increasing the challenge for your body, as with progressive strength training programs. I did Winter weight training while losing weight, during my rowing offseason. I was logging meticulously at the time. I gained a couple of unexplained pounds at the start of the lifting, which temporarily masked a couple of pounds of fat loss, after which I started seeing fat loss on the scale again. Then, in Spring, when I stopped the progressively-increasing weight training because it was time to start rowing again, I loss a couple of pounds of otherwise unexplained scale weight. I think it was the weight-training water weight dropping off.)

Usually, 4-6 weeks of observation will let you know the net results of a change in your eating or exercise regimen.