Oh Good, It Turns Out We May Have Been Drinking Water All Wrong
The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends that people drink between 6-8 glasses of fluid per day. These can include water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee.
Seems simple enough, right? Well, according to some experts, there’s a little more to it than just drinking those glasses.
In fact, the way that we drink water itself likely needs to be improved upon. I know, I know, I thought I had this down to a tee, too.
And no, sadly, the answer isn’t investing in yet another ‘adorable’ water bottle, much to my disappointment.
The best way to drink water, according to experts
If you’re prone to chugging down water several times a day rather than sipping water throughout the day, you may not be getting the full benefits of hydration, according to Lindsay Baker, PhD, a senior principal scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
Speaking to the American Physiological Society, Baker said: “In general, it’s best to sip a little bit throughout the day
“Most people take in larger amounts when they’re eating meals and snacks, which helps the body retain the fluid. But sudden ingestion of large amounts of plain water by itself generally just ends up being eliminated in the urine pretty quickly.”
Additionally, Evan C. Johnson, PhD, an associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Wyoming said that chugging a glass of water can create a ‘bolus response’. A bolus response is the body’s protective mechanism against hyponatremia after consumption of a large amount of fluid. It causes the body to excrete a larger proportion of that suddenly introduced fluid.
Basically, if you drink water too quickly, your body will expel it faster and you won’t feel all of the potential benefits of the drink.
Who knew?!
I guess I’ll need to be a bit more disciplined.