When to drink?
Drinking water is essential for health. Representing up to 75% of everyone’s body weight , water plays a key role in regulating multiple body functions, from brain function to physical performance, digestion and cell renewal . However, while it’s clear that drinking enough water is important for your health, timing it right is also essential. It is in fact important to know the most suitable moments in which to introduce water.
The body is able to tightly regulate its water balance throughout the day, eliminating excess water through the skin , sweating , lungs , kidneys and digestive system . However, the body is only able to eliminate a certain amount of water at a time.
Though rare, drinking too much water can disturb the body’s sodium levels and fluid balance , causing serious side effects such as headaches , confusion , fatigue, seizures and, in severe cases, coma . Therefore, instead of drinking large amounts of water at once, it’s important to spread your intake throughout the day to stay hydrated .
Try setting a timer to remind you to drink at regular intervals – there are even apps on your smartphone – and keep a glass of water handy throughout the day to help you get enough fluids.
How much to drink and how to divide the glasses
The amount of water to consume per day is between 1200 ml (6 water glasses) and 2000 ml (10 water glasses). The average consumption of 1500 – 1600 ml can be divided by drinking:
- a glass of water at breakfast ,
- two glasses of water at lunch,
- two glasses of water with dinner,
- half a liter of water away from meals.
Drinking water regularly: the benefits
- It favors the elimination of waste substances from the body, through the excretion of urine and sweat .
- Promotes muscle development in subjects who practice physical activity.
- Antagonizes the catabolic effects of cortisol: the adrenal glands increase the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that has a catabolic effect on muscle tissue , i.e. it tends to “break it down” to produce energy . Water counteracts this catabolic activity.
- It gives shape and rigidity to the fabrics.
- It allows you to keep the surfaces of: nose , eyes , ears adequately moist .
- Provides adequate lubrication of the joints through the production of synovial fluid.
Sometimes it can be difficult to drink the right amount of water every day, but there are some tricks that can help.
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Benefits of drinking water in the morning
Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is a good way to start the day in the best possible way. It’s a fact that drinking water upon waking helps maintain healthy hydration habits and increases fluid intake throughout the day.
When you’re dehydrated, you need to increase your daily water intake to boost hydration levels, which can be especially helpful in improving mood , brain function, and energy levels .
In fact, several studies show that even mild dehydration can negatively affect memory, concentration, anxiety levels , and fatigue.
Drink water before meals
Drinking a glass of water just before sitting down at the table and having a meal, be it lunch or dinner, is an excellent strategy if you are following a diet that aims to lose weight . In this way not only does the feeling of satiety increase, but it is also possible to reduce the food intake during that meal.
For example, several studies have found that drinking 500 ml of water 30 minutes before breakfast reduces the number of calories consumed by 13%; drinking 300-500 ml of water before lunch reduces hunger and the calorie intake of the meal.
Better to drink before or after training?
During exercise, water and electrolytes are lost through sweat. Drinking plenty of water before and after exercise is important to keep your body hydrated and help replenish lost fluids. Excessive fluid loss during exercise can also harm exercise performance and cause electrolyte imbalances. Drinking water or an electrolyte drink after exercise is recommended to help replenish lost fluids and optimize performance and recovery.
Drinking water is even more essential when exercising in the summer .
Don’t drink excessively
Excessive water consumption (indicatively drinking over 4-5 liters of water a day, in the absence of physical activity or particular climatic conditions), can prove harmful to health and, contrary to what one might think, have no effect proven positive on weight loss .
Drinking too much water can cause:
- slowing of digestion . Excessive drinking during meals causes an excessive dilution of the gastric juice so that the meal tends to “stay on the stomach “;
- an increase in blood pressure due to an increase in blood volume .
