Pour Me Another… Water
Hands up if you drink plenty of water every day? Surprisingly we are a world of people who underestimate the importance of hydration and so not many of us are drinking as much water as we ought to.
Would it surprise you if I said that the up to 60% of the human body is water?! Pretty interesting fact, but one we should pay a little more attention to. Every human body is different, we know this and with that, there is a certain amount of water needed by a said human to survive.
A typical male will require approximately 3 litres of water equalling 12 cups (12 x 250ml)! What about females? Well, they only require around 2.2 litres which equates to around 9 cups (9 x 250ml). The reason behind males requiring more water than females is down to their body composition; things like height, mass, muscle, fat and age. Body fat contains less water than lean tissue, so as females naturally have more body fat than lean tissue, they require slightly less water although this can change from person to person.
Why is water so important?
- Water is vital to every cell and acts as a building material.
- Our internal body temperature, that’s regulated by water through sweating and respiration.
- Water helps to lubricate our joints
- Water is our brain, spinal cord and fetus’ shock absorber.
- The water in our bloodstream helps metabolise and transport proteins and carbohydrates.
- Some of our body waste is assisted by water as it’s flushed out through urination.
How can water help me lose fat?
A 2003 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism on Water-Induced Thermogenesis [1] found that drinking 2 cups of water at room temperature can boost your metabolism by 30%. Drinking 2 litres of water a day could help you burn approximately 95 calories. Not too bad considering all of the additional benefits of drinking water!
Not everyone is a fan of water, yes it can definitely become boring to drink day after day. My suggestion is adding some natural flavour to water. Fill your water bottle with fresh water, then try adding your favourite fruits like lemon, strawberries or raspberries. Doing so will add a nice, natural flavour to the water making it a tasty refreshment. What’s your favourite fruit to add to your water?
Henry Godfree BSc, FitPro
Outlift Muscle And Fitness
outliftmuscleandfitness.co.uk
[1] Water-Induced Thermogenesis, Michael Boschmann et al, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 88, Issue 12, 1 December 2003, Pages 6015–6019
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/88/12/6015/2661518?redirectedFrom=fulltext
