Serena Williams isn’t just one of the best tennis players in the world. She’s one of the best ATHLETES in the world, period.
Over her career, she’s amassed so many achievements that calling her the most dominant person in any sport would be a fair statement. She’s still playing at an incredibly high level even as she nears closer to the end of her career than the beginning..
As with any generational athlete, many people tend to ask Williams about her dietary and nutritional habits. She has at least one that she swears by, and for good reason.
Let’s take a closer look at why Serena Williams’ health hack is to drink at least a gallon of water a day and whether that’s a good thing for her to do.
Serena Williams career overview
Williams has dominated the sport of tennis for more than two decades. She began training with her father Richard Williams when she was three years old.
Along with her sister Venus, she quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the top stars in tennis. She netted her first major title in 1999 and finished off her career Grand Slam only four years later in 2003. She’s won 23 Grand Slam titles during her illustrious career.
Along with her many major titles, she’s also represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games. In 2012 she defeated long-time rival Maria Sharapova to win her first-ever gold medal.
Serena Williams’ health hack of drinking a gallon of water a day
There are two health-based habits Williams swears by that help fuel not just her athletic performance, but her day-to-day productivity.
CNBC wrote a piece covering Williams’ habits. She has two ones she does every day to help keep her in the right state of mind. The first is to clear her mind at least once a day. This can take many forms — relaxation and meditation being her two most popular methods for getting everything out of her brain for a spell. Williams said that motherhood has made this easier:
“It’s a lot easier now because I can just watch my baby…It really helps me to focus on her and focus on the moment and not think about anything else. And I purposely do that with her because I know that I just need to shut off.”
The other thing she does is drink a gallon of water per day. Williams indicated she does this even outside of her busy training schedule. Williams no doubt has a spotless diet and training regimen, but getting her gallon of water is always a priority for her:
“That is one thing that I make sure that I always do.”
Why drinking a gallon of water a day is sound advice
You don’t necessarily need to drink a gallon of water a day, but it can’t hurt. Generally speaking, you’ll likely get enough water intake if you drink whenever you’re thirsty.
The Institute of Medicine recommends women drink 2.3 liters of water per day while men should drink 3.3 liters. This is enough to stave off dehydration and will give your body enough fluids to function effectively.
Pursuing an athletic endeavor as Williams does? Then your water intake needs to go up significantly. Athletes can lose an estimated 6-10% of their body weight in sweat when participating in an athletic event. How much you need depends on how long you play for and how hard you play – for a world-class athlete, that means a lot.
One thing’s for sure: You could do worse than following the health advice of someone who is as prolific an athlete as Williams.
