Water, a major component of the body, is
often overlooked as a vital nutrient. It acts as a means of
transportation for the various chemicals in the system and is the medium
in which the various biochemical reactions among the basic nutrients
take place.
The body is made up of 40 to 60 percent water. You may recall that
muscle is composed of 72 percent water by weight, whereas fat weight is
only 20 to 25 percent water. This means that diets or activities that
result in excessive fluid loss have a significant effect on muscle size.
Furthermore, without sufficient intake of water, you become dehydrated.
Your body begins to retain water to protect itself, and much of this
water is stored subcutaneously, which smoothes out muscular definition
dramatically.