Reducing post exercise water retention

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glasshalffull713
glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is there anything that can be done to reduce water retention caused by an intense workout? Drinking lots of water or anything? Usually I don't care, but I am being measured in a day and don't want tonights workout to skew the results. I know it affects weight but will it show up with measuring tape and caliper measurements too?

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  • DesertGunR
    DesertGunR Posts: 187 Member
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    I would say don't worry about it. After exercise you must replenish liquids lost. Otherwise you open yourself up to the first type of heat related injuries which are cramps. Heat injuries are cumulative, meaning that each time you suffer from one the less resistance your body has from preventing them from happening again and get closer to a case of heat exhaustion and so on.

    I think your best course of action is to maintain your normal routine and do the same thing every time you have this procedure done. That way you will know exactly how well you are progressing. The amount of water needed to keep yourself properly hydrated should not be able to affect a tape & caliper measurement. Mostly, because you are replacing the water that is lost in the muscle tissue that you were using to exercise. There is no reliable information for or against the actual results. Hopefully your test will be in the early morning when body weight and water retention will be at its lowest point all day.
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    Thanks for your response. I will probably keep my normal routine, as I am sure it wouldn't make a huge difference. I was never going to dehydrate myself for better results. I was actually thinking perhaps drinking more water might help reduce retention. I think I will try that (better for me anyways!) and also avoid sodium for the next 24 hours. I also read online that massage can help, so maybe I will make some time for trigger point and foam rolling tonight.
  • DesertGunR
    DesertGunR Posts: 187 Member
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    Don't totally reduce your sodium. It is a vital electrolyte that helps keeps you from cramping as well as promotes proper nerve signal to muscle transmission. An excessive amount may contribute to water retention. You'll have to decide that based on your current intake and slowly increasing/reducing at a known amount for a couple of weeks to know how it effects you. Make sure you maintain good potassium and magnesium levels, since these are also vital nutrients that prevent cramping.

    Good Luck!

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