When exercising, it is important to continuously hydrate yourself to prevent dangerous conditions that can be caused by dehydration, such as low blood pressure and muscle cramps. A common question you might have is how much water should be consumed as part of a healthy exercise regimen. However, you will most likely overlook another important factor in water consumption: the temperature of the liquid. As it turns out, there is an optimal temperature that fluids should be consumed at when exercising in order to maximize its benefits.
The optimal temperature that water should be is cooler than room temperature, but not ice-cold. This is because your body absorbs cool water better than room temperature water. However, ice-cold water must be first warmed up by your body before it can be absorbed. This can cause a delay in the time that your body is actually able to utilize the water that you have drank; this can actually be harmful, since you’re probably already dehydrated and need fluids immediately.
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Another reason to drink cool water is that it is a good “middle” temperature that will not “shock” your internal organs like ice water. When exercising, your core body temperature is much higher than normal, and you need something to cool it down. While ice-cold water can help with this, the temperature difference between your body and ice-cold water is so significant that it can actually shock your internal organs. For example, ice-cold water can constrict your blood vessels and also rob your body of energy because your body will use energy to warm the water before absorbing it. Cool water is better because it can still help to lower your core body temperature, but it will not shock your body.
While some may say that drinking ice-cold water is good because the process of warming up the water can help you burn calories, this effect is quite negligible because your body would have to work to make the water optimal for absorption. To put this in perspective, you would have to drink 435 cups of ice-cold water to lose one pound. Therefore, this perceived benefit is not a valid reason to drink ice-cold water.
In summary, while drinking ice-cold water may be more appealing while exercising, drinking water that is cooler than room temperature is better for your workout. This will allow you to gain all the benefits of hydrating yourself during exercise while preventing your body from possible harm.
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