According to the books "Sport Nutrition" by Asker Jeukendrup and "Your Health: What Works, What Doesn't" published by Reader's Digest, water makes up as much as 70 percent of your body mass. Additionally, water makes up 80 percent of your muscles and 75 percent of your brain. You depend on water to regulate your body temperature and transport nutrients, so it makes sense that if you don't have enough water in your system, things won't work optimally.
Water and Your Body
You don't have to drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated, but you want to drink fluids regularly, filling your bladder every four hours or so. Failing to stay hydrated can interfere with your body's ability to function properly during exercise. According to "Sports Nutrition," dehydration of just 5 percent of body mass can decrease exercise capacity by 30 percent. So, if you're dehydrated, exercising will seem more difficult to perform and you probably won't exercise as long.
If you're trying to lose weight, hindering your ability to perform exercise may lead to a decreased calorie burn if you can't work out as long or as hard as you would if you felt hydrated. Keep your body functioning correctly with adequate levels of water consumption.
Drinking Water for Weight Loss
Some studies indicate that drinking water can lead to increased weight loss, although the reason for the additional weight loss remains unclear. The Ohio State University cited a study in which women who consumed more than 1 liter of water each day lost 5 lbs. more weight than other study participants, regardless of diet or exercise. The same article also discussed another study in which older study participants who drank one to two cups of water prior to a meal consumed fewer calories during the meal, but that younger participants didn't experience the same benefit. Some researchers postulate that water provides a filling effect that prevents individuals from consuming as much during meals, but without further research, that remains unclear. What is clear is that conscientiously increasing water consumption can't hurt, and may help when it comes to weight loss.
Eating Water for Weight Loss
In a study at Penn State University, researcher Barbara Rolls found that consuming foods with a high water content, like fruits, vegetables and water-based soups can decrease overall calorie consumption, helping with weight loss. She found that people tend to consume the same weight in food, regardless of the calorie content. Water adds weight to food, without adding calories, so even though 10 jelly beans contain the same number of calories as almost three cups of strawberries, you will feel more full after eating the strawberries. Consume foods with a high water content to help curb your overall calorie consumption and to fuel weight loss.
References
- "Sport Nutrition"; Asker Jeukendrup, Michael Gleeson; 2004
- Penn State: Eat Water, Lose Weight
- The Ohio State University: Drinking Water May Help Shed Pounds
- "Your Health: What Works, What Doesn't"; Reader's Digest; 2008
Member Comments