Health

Experts Warn Against '75-Hard' Fitness Challenge: Health Risks and Impracticality Exposed

January, 08, 2025-02:31

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Experts Warn Against '75-Hard' Fitness Challenge: Health Risks and Impracticality Exposed

Experts have issued warnings regarding a viral fitness trend that demands participants to visit the gym twice daily and consume excessive amounts of water in an attempt to enhance fitness in just 10 weeks.
The ‘75-Hard’ challenge has gained widespread attention on social media, with over a million videos posted by users documenting their journeys through this challenging diet and exercise program.
Designed by American author and podcaster Andy Frisella in 2019, this rigorous regimen is claimed to induce ‘physical and mental transformations’ through five core components.
The most critical aspect involves completing two 45-minute workouts each day, which can vary based on individual fitness levels, according to Frisella’s website. Participants also need to drink eight pints (4.5 liters) of water daily, abstain from alcohol, follow a generally healthy diet, and spend at least 10 minutes each day reading non-fiction to enhance their mental well-being.
However, experts caution that the plan is not only impractical, making it difficult for participants to maintain, but could also lead to significant health risks.
Consuming over two liters of water daily without engaging in strenuous exercise may disrupt the delicate electrolyte balance in the body, leading to symptoms such as low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and muscle spasms.
In severe cases, this can result in seizures or coma. “Excessive water intake can lead to over-hydration and hyponatremia, which occurs when salt levels in the body drop too low,” explained Professor Peter Watt, an expert in sports and exercise science at the University of Brighton.
“This creates additional complications for your blood pressure and overall health.
“Drinking a gallon of water daily is extreme. In fact, even two liters may not be necessary to stay hydrated.”
The NHS recommends about two liters (around six to eight glasses) of fluid intake each day, with increased amounts when exercising or during warm weather.
Despite the warnings, social media users have praised the plan, with one woman reporting a weight loss of over two stone and others claiming it has ‘transformed’ their approach to food.
However, she shared that it has led her to exercise more consistently and has also “transformed” her relationship with food.
Sophie Deakins, 27, also completed the challenge last year while working as an assistant manager at a London cinema. She noted that the challenge helped shift her mindset and boosted her confidence.
Strength and conditioning coach Tana von Zitzewitz stated that anyone considering the workout challenge will require substantial extra time, making it challenging to adhere to.
"There’s immense pressure for individuals to change their lives at this time of year,” she remarked. She advised those eager to initiate a new fitness routine to opt for a more flexible and enjoyable plan rather than one that is overly rigid and demanding. Experts remain divided on whether this extreme viral fitness regimen will truly help individuals attain their goals, suggesting it may be too ambitious to fit into a single day.
Meanwhile, NHS GP Sam Whiteman expressed skepticism about the 75-Hard program yielding any greater benefits compared to other healthy diet and fitness regimens.
“When weighing this against attending the gym three times a week or going for a weekly run while eating healthily, I’m not convinced it’s superior,” he commented.
The new year typically brings a wave of new health and fitness trends.
The 75-Hard challenge follows previously extreme fads, such as burning 600 calories in an hour and the 100-rep challenge, which involves performing 100 repetitions of a single exercise daily for a month. The Covid pandemic led to a surge in social media fitness challenges, including ‘eve resting,’ where participants ascend hills tallying up to 8,848 meters—the equivalent height of Mount