Posted by Health Handouts | Posted in Fitness Tips | Posted on 27-08-2010
Staying well-hydrated is extremelyimportant for an active athlete.
It’s excellent that you would like to make staying hydrated as easy and healthy for your body as possible. In this case though, you are in luck – health and preference coincide!
In a happy coincidence of what feels good and what’s good for you, it’s actually cold water that’s recommended when exercising vigorously.
During intense physical activity, the body’s core temperature rises above the normal 98.6.F (37.C). Drinking cool water decreases the body’s temperature and assists it settle back to its normal range.
Studies have also shown that cold water 41.F (5.C) is absorbed more quickly from the stomach than warm, abating dehydration and permitting you to play harder and enjoy your game of soccer even more.
Sweating also helps to lower the body’s temperature, but through sweating we lose a lot of water, so it’s important to keep drinking.
The body is smart and often craves what it needs. That doesn’t mean you should have an ice cream sundae every time you get a hankering, but in this case, cold water is what you want and cold water is what your body uses best.
That said, if the only water around is warm, or if some prefer it warm, that is ok too. the main point is – listen to your body, stay hydrated, and have fun!