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You've been bodybuilding for 10 years, but you've still got a lot to learn.

Sudden increases in sodium intake cause you to retain water, but as long as your sodium intake stays fairly regular, it doesn't really matter how much you consume. This is because the body responds to sodium intake by adjusting the production of aldosterone, which controls water retention and sodium excretion in the kidneys. Thus, if you regularly eat more sodium, your body responds by excreting more sodium.

This is the reason that bodybuilders will sodium load for 4-5 days before competition, then cut all sodium 24 hours before competition. The loading phase causes the body to readily excrete sodium, and when sodium is suddenly cut from the diet it takes time for the body to start retaining sodium, producing a short-lived diuretic effect.



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