provided that I have never gone on stage and that this information is of a general nature on how to handle excess water.to simplify the whole the diet factor, mainly carbohydrates, has been omitted.

I wait for the comments of the most experienced guys

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INTRODUCTION Water plays an important role during the preparation for the show or, if you are not an agonist, during the definition period. A practice commonly undertaken by many athletes involves the insertion of diuretics in order to facilitate the expulsion of water from the subcutaneous area. Obviously, this practice can be very dangerous especially if the athlete in question follows a "do-it-yourself" philosophy. The use of diuretics should be planned with accuracy and competence using a trainer who knows his business; always remembering that it is not the diuretic that solves all the problems, it is just a useful supplement for the final touches. Without this introduction, let's see in detail what can help us to eliminate excess water before a show.

salt and pre-show

Since we are talking about water retention, it seems appropriate to dispel a myth of prayer. Before the race, the salt is an ally of the BodyBuilder, not an enemy. Many BodyBuilders eliminate sodium confident that the result is the desired "dry look" on the day of the race.
When salt intake is reduced, a series of dry-looking enemies emerge. Salt contains sodium and to a lesser extent potassium in the form of potassium iodide. When salt / sodium is reduced or eliminated from the diet, the result is a greater release of Aldosterone. This causes the body to excrete more potassium and retain more sodium / water. The subsequent water retention gives the athlete a swollen appearance due to the imbalance between the electrolytes.
The lower salt intake negatively influences the very important sodium-potassium pump. This is the mechanism used by the body to transport many nutrients into cells such as those of all muscle fibers. If you think about it for a moment, this would inhibit the proper transport of creatine and some amino acid structures, as well as inhibit glycogen synthesis.
If the salt in the muscles is reduced, the water present in them is also reduced. This means catabolism, flat muscles at the time of the race (or "need") and lack of vascularity (it also inhibits erectile function, but this is another problem).
There are three main areas where the body deposits water and there is a real hierarchy.

The order of importance is:
1 °) The most important water deposit is found in the blood and in the vascular system. Without sufficient water in the vascular system the blood volume is compromised and if the lack is serious, the result may be nefarious. It is therefore in first place in the hierarchy of water storage.
2nd) In the second place there is muscle tissue. Water is necessary in all muscle tissues, both smooth and striated, to support vital metabolic processes.
3 °) Areas of minor importance for water storage are those subcutaneous (under the skin). This is obviously the area from which a BodyBuilder must eliminate as much water as possible on the day of the race. The results are fundamental. But how can we do it?

Subcutaneous water control depends on the control of the hormone Aldosterone. Obviously estrogen control is part of this hormonal cascade of action / reaction factors. The thing that most interests us is salt and water control, so the key element is Aldosterone.
Starting 15 days before a competition, an athlete should increase salt intake by 20-30%. This obviously means that salt intake should never be reduced. The quantity must remain reasonably high and constant every day. This creates an environment in which the body does not have to release Aldosterone. In this way the salt remains in the muscular tissue attracting the water reserves. In this way the maintenance of the important sodium-potassium pump is also satisfied (during the slimming phase, this also reduces the catabolism).
During the 15-day period, water intake must absolutely remain high. 6-8 liters a day are the minimum. This helps the body to expel excess sodium due to the reduction of Aldosterone secretion caused by increased salt and water intake. As long as you continue to do so, the body will continue to eliminate all the excess water and sodium.
On Friday evening before a race (which takes place on Saturday), the athlete interrupts the water intake. The body thinks it will continue to receive 6-8 liters of water a day and continues to expel the water at the normal rate. This causes a reduction of the blood volume and of course the volume of the muscular water. Do you remember the first mentioned hierarchy of water in the body? Therefore, as a response or survival reaction, to compensate for the body, remove water from the less important area. You got it right. Subcutaneous water is pumped into the blood and muscles. The result is vascularization, full muscle bellies and thin skin like paper. To achieve the best progress and / or results, we must always work with, not against, the action / reaction factors of the body.

USE OF GLYCEROL

Glycerol has a similar structure to alcohol and is found in the body's fat reserves. In fact, a triglyceride is a chain of 3 fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule and accounts for about 95% of fat reserves. Do you think your body handles glycerol well? A much smaller amount of glycerol is present in all tissues of the body. Integrating with glycerol increases the concentration of fluids in the blood and muscle, creating a kind of hyperhydration that lasts for hours. The result is that the water will be removed only when excess glycerol is broken down.
If glycerol is applied to the salt / aldosterone / water strategy (described above) for race preparation, the result is an increase in muscle fullness and vascularization due to the increased volume of fluids. Since glycerol does not affect the secretion of Aldosterone, it can be a big advantage because it facilitates the expulsion of excess water from the subcutaneous areas to put it into the blood. The usual protocol requires 10-20ml of glycerol 3 times a day on the last day of water / salt intake before the competition. The alternative approach includes 10ml of glycerin with 250ml of water with 50gm of dextrose and 5gm of creatine 4 times a day in a period of 6 hours that must end 24 hours before the race. Another protocol involves drinking 15-30ml of glycerol first thing in the morning along with 500ml of water and again an hour before going to bed on training days during the summer. This creates a slightly thinner appearance and allows a significant increase in the duration of training in warm environments. It works for most athletes. Also create a great pumping!

USE OF DIURETIC DRUGS

If strictly necessary, to give the last touch, diuretics can be inserted, but always with the supervision of expert personnel.

There are three groups of diuretics:
- Diuretics that safeguard the potassium / Aldosterone antagonists (Aldactone and Aldactize are examples of this group).
- Thiazide diuretics (Maxide and Hydrodiuril are common commercial names of thiazide diuretics)
- Loop diuretics (Lasix and Brumex are two common trade names of cyclic diuretics)

I immediately clarify a fundamental point: cyclic/loops diuretics are the most dangerous class in this category of drugs, and I strongly discourage their use. The only diuretics that have a good "safety" margin are the Aldosterone (potassium sparing) inhibitors. They have a slow action and take about 7-14 days to produce the maximum results, but that's why it's easy to miss the doses. If you do not have a profound knowledge of the action of the drug, or you are not followed by qualified personnel, you must avoid using them in your own preparation!

dandelion
Much safer, and definitely natural, is the use of the officinal dandelion. Dandelion is a very effective diuretic with the unusual advantage of possessing a built-in potassium source. The active extract is water-soluble and therefore easily absorbable. The used doses are between 500mg and 1000mg 3 times a day for 3 days. As previously stated, the use of diuretics should be the last card available in a race preparation (or "at the beach"). They should not be intended as resolvers of any physical water problem. If you apply correctly what has been described in this article, most likely you will not need to add a diuretic ... "agonism permitting".