About how important health is to drinking the right amount of water probably everyone. Non-carbonated water is considered to be better than carbonated, and it is said that it is better to drink specialized sports drinks during exercise. Is it true? Get to know the opinion of experts on this subject.
Drinking a lot of water helps in getting rid of toxins from the body
The role of wastewater treatment in the human body is played mainly by the kidneys. They filter the blood flowing through them and pick up harmful substances that leave the body together with the urine. Drinking too much water, unfortunately, does not make it easy for them, and can even make it difficult and there is no doubt about it, says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a nephrologist working at the University of Pennsylvania.
Drinking a lot of water makes you lean faster
A more appropriate statement would be to say that drinking more water should be recommended to those on a diet. Water does not have any calorific value, so from the point of view of the energy balance, it does not matter how much the person slimming down drinks. Therefore, you can reach for it with impunity and fill it with your stomach, suppressing the feeling of hunger and occupying something with your hands and mouth. It does not matter whether the role of "filler" fulfills natural or carbonated water, says Madeline Fernstrom from the University of Pittsburgh. The only reservation to this method is in the first point. However, if a slimming person has healthy kidneys and leads a healthy lifestyle, it will be better if he drinks a little more water, instead of filling the stomach with an extra portion of calories.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (about 2 liters)
There is no scientific proof that drinking such a quantity of water, or drinking it with small sips throughout the day, has any health significance. Where did this popular belief come from? Nobody knows, Stanley Goldfarb answers.
Physical effort is a simple way to dehydrate the body
Dehydration begins when the body evaporates at least 2% of the exercising person's weight. Assuming we are dealing with a woman weighing 60 kg, this means a loss of 1200 grams (1.2 liters) of water. The most vulnerable to dehydration are people practicing long-distance sports, ie marathon runners, cyclists, mountaineers, or training at high temperatures. In their case, drinking the right amount of fluids is very important. Specialists from the American College of Sports Medicine recommend in such cases to drink about 0.5 liters of water a few hours before starting the exercise. Choosing a walk in the woods or a short jogging in the park you certainly do not need to take water with you - adds Stanley Goldfarb.
It is better to drink sports drinks during training
It depends on what training you are talking about. Exercises that last for a short time or take place in an air-conditioned room certainly do not threaten dehydration. If thirst arises during their lifetime, they can be quenched with water. However, when planning an intensive and long training, or starting in competitions, it is worth reaching for sports drinks. However, it should be remembered that in addition to water, there are caloric substances, usually carbohydrates. Anyone who loses weight should add energy to the energy balance of the diet.
All sports drinks are the same
Not true. There are three types. Hypotonic drinks can be drunk during low-intensity training (yoga, pilates) because they contain very few carbohydrates. Isotonic drinks are quickly absorbed by the body, have an ideal energy content (higher than hypotonic drinks) to continue strenuous exercises. They also supplement substances (electrolytes - sodium and potassium), which the athlete loses with sweat, and the presence of which guarantees the proper functioning of the muscles. The last type of sports drinks are hypertonic drinks, containing a lot of energy substances. It is worth drinking after training because consuming drinks or energy snacks after exercise, accelerates the regeneration of the body and contributes to faster building of fitness.
It is better to drink in the store, because when you get thirsty, it is a sign that your body is already dehydrated
Should one eat in reserve without feeling hungry? It is known what results in eating throughout the day - overweight. The same applies to the replenishment of liquids. The feeling of thirst is a signal that the body needs water and this is a good time to reach for something to drink. Dehydration is manifested in a completely different way. Its symptoms are tiredness, a marked deterioration in well-being, lack of concentration, headaches and pains, loss of the ability to judge the situation soberly, disturbed contact with the environment. So when should you drink? Drink when you feel like it, when you feel thirsty - advises Dr. Goldfarb.
The situation is different with athletes or people taking part in, for example, marathons. In their case, it is better to constantly hydrate the body, which sometimes means drinking before you get thirsty - the point is that at any time because of even a small water shortage in the body do not put yourself at a loss of performance. In the case of athletes, such a temporary failure of the body may decide to lose the medal.