Working Out / Water Retention

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evangemz90
evangemz90 Posts: 107 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it that when working out you retain water retention. How long does this last.

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  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    Our muscles retain water to help with the recovery/repair process. It usually takes a day or two for that water to work its way out of your system but as stated, it varies from person to person.
  • eissacf25
    eissacf25 Posts: 151 Member
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    Do you guys think drinking more water would flush it out?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    evangemz90 wrote: »
    Why is it that when working out you retain water retention. How long does this last.

    To repair damaged tissue...if you're training regularly, you're always going to be damaging your muscles so you will always retain fluids to repair that damage...that's how your body is supposed to work...you basically have a new baseline.

    It's not fat, so why worry about it?
    eissacf25 wrote: »
    Do you guys think drinking more water would flush it out?

    No...if you're training, your body has to repair itself...why are we so worried about water weight?
  • eissacf25
    eissacf25 Posts: 151 Member
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    @cwolfman13 - I'm not worried about it, it was simply a question to gain more knowledge.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    eissacf25 wrote: »
    @cwolfman13 - I'm not worried about it, it was simply a question to gain more knowledge.

    Yeah, fluid retention is how your body repairs itself from the damage that is done from training...you're not going to flush it out by drinking more, nor would you want to. Water retention from excess sodium or something is different.

    After you workout and you look in the mirror and can see that "pump"...that's fluid retention in the muscles...it's a good thing.
  • eissacf25
    eissacf25 Posts: 151 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    eissacf25 wrote: »
    @cwolfman13 - I'm not worried about it, it was simply a question to gain more knowledge.

    Yeah, fluid retention is how your body repairs itself from the damage that is done from training...you're not going to flush it out by drinking more, nor would you want to. Water retention from excess sodium or something is different.

    After you workout and you look in the mirror and can see that "pump"...that's fluid retention in the muscles...it's a good thing.

    Awesome, thanks! (Sorry OP for kind of hijacking your post haha)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,138 Member
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    For me, it usually lasts about 3 days. On the 3rd day I wear a path to the toilet, and then it's gone.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    I wouldn't go overboard on it, but eating protein after you workout can help your muscles recover more quickly and thereby shed the water more quickly.
  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 496 Member
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    I'm never disappointed at the new stuff I learn from reading posts! I was searching about water retention post-Barbell class. I just recently went back to Barbell after a few lazy months. And the number on the scale is up by 5lbs.... and I'm not even going to mention how sore I am!!! So as far as I'm concerned, if all those 5lbs of water are helping my muscles heal from achyness, then 'plump' away, H2O!!
    Thanks for the interesting facts on how muscles and water work!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    A new workout routine always sees me hanging onto water weight for several days. Especially if its a lifting programme and my muscles are sore. I've never found drinking more water to help :/ it just takes time to go but at least I know its not because I am truly gaining weight.

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