What Is The Best Way To Reduce Body Fluid Before A Contest?

Here is a question that most bodybuilders and athletes have asked several times over the past half century. What is the best way to reduce body fluiid before a contest? Here are some possible options:

1. Sitting in a sauna long enough to lose the waterweight.
2. Water pills.
3. Diet pills.
4. Reducing your fluid intake.
5. Stopping all fluiid intake (this could be dangerous).It may lead to severe cramping of all the muscles, including the heart.

Tell me which of the above options is the best one to follow. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

A. A. Garcia

You Inspire Me!

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 2, 2009 at 12:45am

Great question. I will have to look into it. Good night.

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Permalink Reply by Lucas Irwin on May 2, 2009 at 10:33am

A calculated and strategic version of #4 is your best and most effective option.

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 3, 2009 at 8:28pm

Number 4 is the best choice. Thanks, Marcela. What would I do without you?

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 3, 2009 at 8:29pm

Thanks for the advice. I will cut back on my fluid intake.

Lucas Irwin said:

A calculated and strategic version of #4 is your best and most effective option.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Elias on May 4, 2009 at 4:09pm

The answer to this question is really none of the above items alone.
To understand why, we must look at what we are really trying to do when we reduce body fluid.

The goal is to reduce subcutaneous ( under the skin ) fluid retention, without reducing intra-muscular and intra-cellular water retention.

If you simply dehydrate yourself, you will drop subcutaneous fluid retention but you will also reduce intra-celluar hydration and end up flat and spongy with loose skin and flat muscles.

The goal is to be full and tight, with mucle cells full of glycogen and water, and very little subcutaneous water between the muscles and the skin.

To make this happen, we need a strategy to hydrate the muscle cells, while pulling the water out from under the skin.

So, to achieve this we need to strategically time a carb deplete / carb load technique during the week prior to the competition to pull subcutaneous water into the muscle cells, bind it with glycogen to lock it in the muscle cell, and then use a combination of electrolyte manipulation and possibly a mild potassium sparring OTC herbal diuretic to help pull off the the sub-q water when the rest of the water is bound in the cells to glycogen.

After a period of carb depletion, the muscle cells will absorb nearly 3 times as much glycogen into the cell as they would normally. Each gram of stored glucose pulls 2.7 grams of stored water with it into the muscle cells to form glycogen.
When this water and glucose are bound together in the muscle cells, your muscles will be full and tight.

By waiting to cut water and only using an herbal diuretic and sodium depletion technique once the carb load process is fully underway, you can ensure that the water that is shed will be nearly all subcutaneous water, leaving your muscles full and large, and your skin dry and tight.

Also, another important note is the role of the hormone aldosterone in your water depletion plan. Aldosterone is a hormone in your body produced by the adrenal cortex responsible for the retention of sodium and fluid. When your body senses a decrease in the amount of water coming in, it will increase the production of aldosterone to tell your body to start retaining sodium and retaining water. You have about 24-48 hours max before your body will react to a reduction in water intake by increasing aldosterone production. So, decreasing water intake too far out from a show will cause your body to be in "react mode" with increased aldosterone production right at the time you are trying to be the driest.
The last thing you want is your body body fighting against what you want to do. So, it's important not to cut water intake too soon or you will actuall begin retaining everything you drink.

Water is also an imporant part of the carb load process, so definitely don't cut your water intake during the first days of your carb load prior to the show.

So, in summary, the most effective and healthy way to get bone dry before a show and keep your muscle cells hydrated from the inside involves the proper execution of a carb deplete / carb load cycle combined with a sodium deplete possibly combined with a mild postassium sparring OTC herbal diuretic, and a stragegy of keeping water intake high until 12-24 hours before the show, followed by cutting the intake within the 24 hour window before the aldosterone hormone will start fighting back!

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 4, 2009 at 7:02pm

This is the best response I have received so far. Are you an M.D.? Your answer is full of scientific jargon, but it was informative. I do not compete, but I was curious how people drop water weight before a contest. Thanks for your response.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Elias on May 6, 2009 at 11:06am

Hi Angel,

No, I am not an MD, but I am a sports nutritionist and trainer specializing in contest prep and have been involved with competing and training competitors for more than 20 years. Please let me know if you have any additional questions about anything!

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 6, 2009 at 5:50pm

Thanks for the offer. I will keep that in mind.

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Permalink Reply by Victoria on May 7, 2009 at 9:13am

Wow - fantastic response Michael - thanks from all of us!!

Michael Elias said:

The answer to this question is really none of the above items alone.
To understand why, we must look at what we are really trying to do when we reduce body fluid.

The goal is to reduce subcutaneous ( under the skin ) fluid retention, without reducing intra-muscular and intra-cellular water retention.

If you simply dehydrate yourself, you will drop subcutaneous fluid retention but you will also reduce intra-celluar hydration and end up flat and spongy with loose skin and flat muscles.

The goal is to be full and tight, with mucle cells full of glycogen and water, and very little subcutaneous water between the muscles and the skin.

To make this happen, we need a strategy to hydrate the muscle cells, while pulling the water out from under the skin.

So, to achieve this we need to strategically time a carb deplete / carb load technique during the week prior to the competition to pull subcutaneous water into the muscle cells, bind it with glycogen to lock it in the muscle cell, and then use a combination of electrolyte manipulation and possibly a mild potassium sparring OTC herbal diuretic to help pull off the the sub-q water when the rest of the water is bound in the cells to glycogen.

After a period of carb depletion, the muscle cells will absorb nearly 3 times as much glycogen into the cell as they would normally. Each gram of stored glucose pulls 2.7 grams of stored water with it into the muscle cells to form glycogen.
When this water and glucose are bound together in the muscle cells, your muscles will be full and tight.

By waiting to cut water and only using an herbal diuretic and sodium depletion technique once the carb load process is fully underway, you can ensure that the water that is shed will be nearly all subcutaneous water, leaving your muscles full and large, and your skin dry and tight.

Also, another important note is the role of the hormone aldosterone in your water depletion plan. Aldosterone is a hormone in your body produced by the adrenal cortex responsible for the retention of sodium and fluid. When your body senses a decrease in the amount of water coming in, it will increase the production of aldosterone to tell your body to start retaining sodium and retaining water. You have about 24-48 hours max before your body will react to a reduction in water intake by increasing aldosterone production. So, decreasing water intake too far out from a show will cause your body to be in "react mode" with increased aldosterone production right at the time you are trying to be the driest.
The last thing you want is your body body fighting against what you want to do. So, it's important not to cut water intake too soon or you will actuall begin retaining everything you drink.

Water is also an imporant part of the carb load process, so definitely don't cut your water intake during the first days of your carb load prior to the show.

So, in summary, the most effective and healthy way to get bone dry before a show and keep your muscle cells hydrated from the inside involves the proper execution of a carb deplete / carb load cycle combined with a sodium deplete possibly combined with a mild postassium sparring OTC herbal diuretic, and a stragegy of keeping water intake high until 12-24 hours before the show, followed by cutting the intake within the 24 hour window before the aldosterone hormone will start fighting back!

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Permalink Reply by Angel Alberto Garcia on May 8, 2009 at 12:07am

It takes a Ph.D. to understand his response. I prefer answers in plain simple English.

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Permalink Reply by John Clark Fischer on May 10, 2009 at 8:02pm

MIchael,
Thanks for the good overview.i am prepping for my first contest in four weeks. I have been a low carb guy for a long time prior to getting serious about bodybuilding, and my normal carb intake is generally 75-100 grams. I was planning to cut down to fifty at the two week point. To use the strategy you recommend should I cut to virtually no carbs the week before and then go back up to my normal 100 in the few days before the Saturday contest. I am afraid if I load like many people do and go to 2 or 300 my body will not be happy. Thanks for the info.