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Drink up to slim down

Summer is fast approaching and people are flooding into the gyms and onto the sports tracks in an effort to slim down and get healthier for summer. What many people don’t realise is that their weight loss and fitness regimes would be enhanced far more if they reached for a glass of purified water, instead of the latest sports drink to boost their performance.

Water boosts your metabolism

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking about half a litre of water increased metabolic rate by 30% in healthy men and women. The boost occurred within just 10 minutes of drinking, but reached a maximum 30-40 minutes after drinking. To enhance your work out, drink at least a quarter of a litre of water before you even start exercising and your metabolism will be already working hard!

Water aids muscular growth and recovery

In a living moving body, skeletal muscle is more than 70% water and all the contractions and heavy muscle protein synthesis take place in water. During training, water is driven from blood into muscle cells and the surrounding areas. But if the body is dehydrated or even slightly low in water, water is actually drawn out of the muscle back into the blood to preserve circulation and keep your blood pressure steady.

The net result is that your muscles lose out. Research* has shown that when cells lose water, the protein production slows down and protein breakdown can speed up. Greater muscle breakdown means less muscle growth, which means you are going backwards rather than forwards in your training.

Dehydration slows you down

According to the International Olympic Committee, “dehydration impairs an athlete’s performance in most events” and up to 90% of people are in the early stages of dehydration.  If you’re running or cycling, studies have indicated that your performance levels decrease if as your dehydration levels increase. It’s important to note here, that you often only feel thirsty when you are already dehydrated, which means your performance will already be affected. Athletes should minimise their fluid loss to not more than 2% of their body weight, after that, you’ll start to see increased fatigue and declining motivation.

Dehydration and recovery

After exercise it’s important to rehydrate. Drink at least two cups after a moderate workout to ensure you see the benefits of your exercise. But remember, for optimum health benefits reach for a glass of water purified from an H₂O International SA water purifying solution. Which guarantees the finest quality water. Many people choose not to drink the water because they don’t like the taste, but our purified water removes all the chlorine and harmful, unwanted contaminants from your water – giving you great taste and complete peace of mind!

Ritz P, Salle A, Simard G, Dumas JF, Foussard F, & Malthiery Y (2003). Effects of changes in water compartments on physiology and metabolism. Eur J Clin Nutr, 57 (Suppl 2) , S2-5.