people dehydrate themselves on purpose to drop weight quickly

I've heard that people, dehydrate themselves on purpose to drop weight quickly. Does that atucally make you lose weight?

Reply 1

Steph D

Anonymous

I've heard that people, dehydrate themselves on purpose to drop weight quickly. Does that atucally make you lose weight?

I dont think so. If u drink plenty of water regularly over a period of time u hold less in your body...if u are dehydrated u retain water....therefore more body weight.

Reply 2

Barny

You lose weight, yes, but not fat.

Reply 3

bobbob

They do, but it's not going to help much for most people.

The typical example is boxers: they go into saunas for hours to lose enough water (and weight) for the weigh-in so they are within the right class for a fight.

Reply 4

Hayley_2k4

bobbob

wow, I never knew that

Reply 5

meathead

No, you just lose some water stored in your body, it won't remove any fat. It's normally done by atheletes who have to make a 'weight class' for their sport (ie they lose water weight so on the day they fall in the 70kg-75kg rather than 75kg-80kg category, then right after the weighing they drink loads of water to recover). Lost water weight can be as much as a stone, although it can be regained within hours.

Losing water weight can be accomplished in many ways
1) Drinking more will actually work up to a point, as it causes your body to store less water
2) Sweating as much as possible. Eg going in the sauna, or running with 4 jumpers on, etc.
3) Diuretics, drugs which make you excrete more water (can be dangerous)
4) Diet (reducing salt intake for example).

It makes some difference to appearance; typically people storing very little water look 'leaner' and more muscular. This effect only lasts as long as the dehydration, and is of course countered by the fact that when sufficiently dehydrated you can barely function.

Reply 6

Willa

yes. You dehydrate if you are in a sport which requires you to be under a certain weight. Boxing is one example, as given. Lightweight rowing is another one, where you drink minimal amounts of water for about 24 hours. You are normally given at least a few hours to rehydrate before you compete though, so it's not like you have to go out there dehydrated.

I lost over 2kg when I had to dehydrate for my race. But it's not a permenant thing, you put it straight back on after.

Reply 7

hanadeka2002

If you are trying to lose weight as in fat it won't work.You are much better off drinking loads and loads of water.

Reply 8

Barny

People seem to forget that glycogen storage will have a far greater effect on water held and therefore weight, so they just drink very little water for a period of time when they could just change their diet for a few days leading up to competition.