Before you even grip the shiny, steel reinforced bar resting on black and red bench-pressing set up, it would only benefit you to know that every single fluid, product, shake and/or protein you ingest will affect and/or influence your workout in different ways. You already know that, but for this week’s article let’s look at how to properly take advantage of and hydrate your body. We won’t tell you water(H₂O) is the most important part of your meal plan because you should know that. We will detail components of the crucial compound. H₂O is a chemical compound that is made up of two parts (atoms of) Hydrogen and one part (atom of) Oxygen. Most easily recognized as “water,” what makes up the fluid’s structure are two elements on the periodic table. Yes, we could spend all day describing and detailing water molecules, atomic numbers and ratios but that’s not what we do.

We are strictly here to demonstrate the significance of topics relating to lifting and so on.

“The human brain is composed of 95% water; blood is 82% water; the lungs are nearly 90% water. Water is also the single most critical nutrient for health, growth, and development. It is not only the most important nutrient in the body, but also the most abundant. Water is critical to the balance of all the body’s systems, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and muscles.”

Cite Bodybuilding.com’s article about hydrating the body for maximum output. What we know is that your body WILL fail to and/ or continue to fail working properly without proper hydration. That’s the bottom line. Your digestive system alone, can and will halt your ability to concentrate on pushing through the next set when stomach pains and cramping arise. Scroll down on that page, there is a lot of info. Back to your digestion and nutrients flowing to and around your muscles.. Proteins and other vitamins essential to muscle growth and development will have no vehicle to get to those hungry muscles without water. That alone should beat it into your brain and help you understand things well enough to always want to have a fanny pack with excess water on at all times.

Drinking, swallowing and NOT choking is a whole exercise in itself. Dysphagia, a condition when swallowing causes pain and discomfort due to disease is something that can cause insufficient calorie intake, fluid intake and nutrient intake.

Definitely see a specialist, doctor or health adviser if you experience pain swallowing. What is in your control is strengthening your ability to swallow. Poor muscle control and/or nerve control can inhibit one’s ability to safely ingest fluids, solids and even softer more malleable textures.

Poor abilities to swallow safely can cause threatening conditions. Water, and other thin liquids alike passing through the mouth, throat and esophagus without proper handling will head straight to the lungs and cause pneumonia or lung infections.

Note 0:47 – 2:15.

During therapy and instructed exercise regimens to improve your swallowing you will hear many new terms. See below to have an idea what they are talking about.
Definitions

FLUIDS

Thin (Regular): Regular fluids. No changes are necessary.

Nectar-like: Fluids thin enough to be sipped through a straw or from a cup but thick enough to fall off a tipped spoon slowly (e.g., buttermilk, eggnog like).

Honey-like: Thick fluids eaten with a spoon or sipped from a cup. Liquids are too thick to sip from straw. (e.g., thick yogurt, tomato sauce, room temperature honey).

Pudding-like (Spoon thick): Pudding like fluids that must be eaten with a spoon and that hold their shape on the spoon (e.g., thick milk pudding, thickened applesauce).

FOODS

The modifications listed below are only a sample of the diet texture modifications available in the community. These may vary greatly and are often defined by the provider. Additional information regarding modified food textures is available on the “General Description of Diet Textures” handout.

Regular: No modifications.

Mechanical (#1) with Whole Sandwich Meat: Sandwich meats are whole, other tougher meats and foods are chopped.

Mechanical (#1) with Chopped Meat: Tough foods are cut into small pieces, other items are whole.

Mechanical (#2) Soft Diet – Ground Meat: Soft textured foods that do not require chewing.

Pureed: Food blended into a smooth texture.

Again, please contact your health physician if you become concerned with your safety swallowing. Nobody wants you to get knocked back on your hind end, missing valuable training time recovering from and dealing with sickness and poor health.