Water is the most abundant nutrient in the human body and it is indeed the most important as well. Water is the most critical nutrient for good health, growth, development and it is only through water that most of the energy reactions takes place inside the body. It is important that one needs to drink sufficient levels of pure water everyday in order to better their health and stamina and of course to build those muscles. There are instances where people are unable to lose their extra weight despite exercising their optimal capacities and one of the reasons for the same is ‘failure to hydrate’. Dehydration will diminish the performance in the gym and it results in decreased strength and endurance. At this point we also insist that drinking pure water is essential, for the risk of drinking ‘any available water’ could lead to water borne diseases which will only upscale itself to other ill consequences.
Researchers in Germany report that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories. The impact is modest and the findings are preliminary, but the researchers say their study could have important implications for weight-control programs.
In an effort to answer this question, Michael Boschmann, MD, and colleagues from Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center tracked energy expenditures among seven men and seven women who were healthy and not overweight. After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates – or the rate at which calories are burned, increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.
The researchers estimate that over the course of a year, a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 litres a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, for a weight loss of approximately five pounds
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Drink Well Before Work Out
The rule is pretty simple – If you are thirsty, you are already in the dehydration mode. When you know that you will be hitting the gym, your body will obviously go through a set of training and it demands that your heart to function well! Therefore, drinking sufficient levels of water, one Hour before the work out is highly recommended. Also people drink do water between exercises, which is great but it is important that they drink it slowly and take their time to hydrate.
Remember that once you are dehydrated, you will get dizzy, lethargic and your muscles won’t work well and there wont be an effective work out at all.
Also Read: Weight Loss Just With Drinking Pure Water
How Much Water Should I Drink?
Ensure you are sufficiently hydrated to begin with. Drink fluids throughout the day before you exercise. The following is a recommended practice, while one should adjust to their comfort levels too:
One to two hours before workout – 500 Ml of water
Twenty minutes before the workout – 150 Ml of water
During workout – 100 Ml of water every 20 minutes
If you tend to sweat heavily or if you exercise outdoors, you may need to drink more water. However, all of this will only be effective if one drinks pure drinking water. There are several consequences for not drinking sufficient levels of water. LiveStrong has compiled some of the most comprehensive list of ill effects of not drinking sufficient water which includes chemical imbalance, temperature fluctuation, dehydration and much more.
Rev Up The Metabolism
Dehydration slows up metabolism. You will face your biggest enemy when your metabolism slows down to conserve energy when you haven’t had enough drinking water. This will also lead to organs not functioning efficiently. To sum up, hydrating the body – drinking water directly helps your body to burn calories.
Get Those Toxins Out
Every toxic from your body is flushed when the body is sufficiently hydrated. This also includes the toxins generated during exercises. Water also helps in one of the most pivotal functions, by keeping the joints lubricated, which is highly important for day to day functions.
Whether you’re just embarking on your weight loss plan or have been steadily making strides for some time, make sure you’re drinking enough water for your body to function correctly.
Also Read: Why Women Should Drink Pure Water During Pregnancy
Feeling Content
Study shows that water intake 30 minutes before every meal, results in satiation. This means that tendency to eat more than what is required is reduced and it organically leads to weight loss.