Comments on: Fluid Temperature has No Effect on Hydration

By: Blake Gillen

Blake Gillen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:59:39 +0000

Oh, just found this too… seems a little more comprehensive.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5171659_good-drink-cold-water_.html

By: Blake Gillen

Blake Gillen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:56:01 +0000

This is either taken out of context or vastly misleading. The study was done on INFANTS and compared 23°C and 37°C (73°F and 99°F). This is room temperature versus body temperature. Nothing to do with hydration in adults when exercising, nor is it anything to do with warm versus cold water in relation to hydration.

There is a lot of conflicting information, though to be honest, instinctively when dehydrated, most people prefer cold water. There are arguments that cold water passes through your stomach and reaches your intestine faster ergo faster absorption and it lowers core temperature, there are also arguments that because it passes through your stomach so fast you absorb less, though a basic knowledge of anatomy would indicate that it is your small intestine that absorbs water.

“The stomach has three mechanical tasks. First, it stores the swallowed food and liquid. To do this, the muscle of the upper part of the stomach relaxes to accept large volumes of swallowed material. The second job is to mix up the food, liquid, and digestive juice produced by the stomach. The lower part of the stomach mixes these materials by its muscle action. The third task of the stomach is to empty its contents slowly into the small intestine.”
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/

I’m no ‘Einstein’ but logic would seem to dictate that since cold water passes through the stomach faster it would be absorbed (by the small intestine) into your body, rehydrating you more quickly.

No?

By: asdf

asdf — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:49:05 +0000

Um.. ever drink something really cold indoors and then you start to feel cold?

Ever drink something hot and then you begin to feel warm?

If you’re sweating.. and you drink something really cold that makes you feel cooler.. you will stop sweating and losing liquids.. allowing you to sustain your hydration longer.

By: Amaechi celestine

Amaechi celestine — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:38:05 +0000

I still want to know about what will be use to substitude water.

By: mzhuddles

mzhuddles — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:34:35 +0000

I actually prefer drinking cold water during the summer and warm water during the winter. Drinking a cup of warm water during the winter actually helps me keep from drinking lots of hot chocolate which are like covert calories to me as I’m just trying to keep warm!

And curiosity killed the cat…. cold v. hot? it’s like asking “how should i sleep at night?” even though we all need sleep to function just as every person needs water. Sometimes it’s just fun to ask and learn.

By: Chad Haering

Chad Haering — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:25:54 +0000

While warm water may hydrate you just as well as cold water, a study from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine proved that cold water is more palatable. Therefore, under VOLUNTARY hydration, people tend to drink more cold water than warm water, thus staying more hydrated. Consumption of flavored water was favorable compared to unflavored warm water.

Szlyk, P. C., Sils, I. V., Francesconi, R. P., Hubbard, R.W., Armstrong, L. E., “Palatability of Drinking Water: Effects on Voluntary Dehydration,” USARIEM, March 1998.

By: Patrick Bristow

Patrick Bristow — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:04:50 +0000

I have to say I agree with many of the other commentors… does anyone actually drink warmer or cooler fluids with the hope it hydrates them better? I just drink cold water ’cause it feels good (and warm cider ’cause that’s just how cider is meant to be drunk).

To Bri-Lee: I once saw a chemist break down the numbers for how much ice you would have to eat to lose a pound of fat (loosely related to what you’re talking about)… the numbers are astonishing. You can drink all the cold water you want for a year… you’ll gain all the calories back by chewing one stick of juicy fruit :)

By: Bri-Lee

Bri-Lee — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:49:11 +0000

You would be 100% correct “Fluid Temperature has no effect on hydration”. However, I am sorry to say, mike (regarding: ‘preferred cold water on a hot day because it helps you cool you’), that is incorrect. Drinking cold water causes your body to work harder, to warm up the cold water, to digest it. As a result, you will not cool down but the contrary. Furthermore, if you drink something warm such as tea, hot chocolate (my favorite), or coffee, it will cause you body to sweat, hence cool you down. But I encourage you to research this, because I am sure you will not take my word for it, you seem like ‘fairly certain’ individual.

By: audrey

audrey — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:16:10 +0000

sure, it takes an Einstein to figure that out. I read the opposite, that cold water is better for hydration, in one of those wellness brochures from my doctor. it sounded fishy.

I’m going to start reaching for lukewarm water on hot summer days.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 24 May 2007 18:03:59 +0000

I’m fairly certain I, and most people, have preferred cold water on a hot day because it helps cool you, not because there is any perceived improvement in speed of hydration.