Keeping yourself hydrated is very important especially when you are working out. During a strenuous workout, your body loses lots of fluid and leads to dehydration. With a high body temperature and you gasping for breath, the first thing that comes to mind is ice-cold water. Few beliefs state that drinking cold water immediately after exercise is a bad habit as it can harm your long-term health. While others also believe that if you’re drinking cold water, your body must work harder to maintain its internal temperature. It’s refreshing to drink cold water, but is it safe to drink cold water during or after exercise?
Why you should drink cold water during and after exercise:
1. Burns more calories
To bring the temperature of ice cold water to room temperature your body must spend more energy thus burning more calories. Although the calorie burned is negligible but repeating this 5-6 times a day can help you burn a little more energy.
2. Combats heat stroke
During exercise when your body cannot get rid of the extra heat made, you feel exhausted. Lack of water during exercise can also cause dehydration which leads to unconsciousness. As compared to warm water the body absorbs cold water quickly. Drinking a glass of cold water after a vigorous exercise prevents heat stroke.
3. Excellent drink during workout
A recent study on the effect of drinking cold water during exercise on performance and core temperature states that there is considerable fall in core temperature of people who consumed the cold water in between breaks. The body temperature of people who consumed water room temperature water increased in just 15 mins whereas the cold water consumers took 30 mins to increase. This means you can work out longer without feeling exhausted. Drinking water also prevents tooth decay. It takes care of oral hygiene. The less care of your tooth, the more adult oral sedation dentistry is required for tooth treatment to keep your mouth clean.
Why you shouldn’t drink cold water during and after exercise:
4. The Emergence of Headache
It’s better to wait for the body temperature to get back to normal before drinking cold water since it may cause dizziness and headache as your central nervous system may not be ready for the sudden change of temperature from hot to cold.
5. Narrowing Blood Vessel
Cold temperatures can disrupt the blood flow by narrowing the blood vessels. This condition can cause interference in the body. You better immediately consult a doctor if you feel any discomfort as it may cause interference in the body.
6. Weakening of Heartbeat
Drinking cold water can stimulate the vagus nerve (controller of the body’s unconscious activities such as heartbeat). Drinking too much cold water will disrupt the working of the vagus nerve and it can cause the heartbeat to weaken. It can happen to anyone. Consult a doctor immediately if you feel pain in the chest after drinking cold water.
7. The Emergence of Sore Throat
Drinking cold water after exercise causes the appearance of mucus in the lining of the esophagus. This can make the throat prone to inflammation leading to infection.
8. Distended Belly
The Stomach is lined with fat pads coming from the food you intake daily. Drinking cold water frequently means the body will need more fat pads to make it warm. The more fat-pads in the abdomen, the more visible the distended belly is.
9. Narrowing of the Intestine
Drinking cold water causes the fat from the oily food consumed to freeze. This slows down the digestion process as the intestinal narrowing occurs. This also stimulates gastric issues causing cramps or seizures in the stomach. Exercise regularly to burn fat. You should also frequently eat fibrous foods to keep your digestion healthy.
Bottom Line:
Consumption of water during exercise is important and unavoidable. So, pack in a water bottle for your next workout session in an eco-friendly single-use bottle. To replace the fluids discharged through sweat and to prevent dehydration, you need to drink enough water. Cold water is a luxury while workout. What’s important is drinking water, not it’s temperature. Whichever temperature of water encourages you to drink, suits your body needs is the one you should choose. You are the one who knows what is best about your body.
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