What are the Real Benefits of Drinking Water?

We have all heard from before we can remember that drinking water is good for you but were we ever really told why? I remember the teacher telling me in school that our bodies are roughly 75% water, but does that necessarily mean that drinking 8 glasses or more of it a day is good for you? More importantly to all of us here is just what kind of benefits of drinking water are there for our weight loss and workout goals?

The benefits of drinking water go beyond aiding in weight loss. It is one of the most important nutrients for the body. Roughly 70-75% of your total body weight is made up of water and your blood is roughly 90% water. The body needs that H2O to stay hydrated and function properly. The benefits of drinking water include: maintaining body temperature, metabolizing body fat, helping with digestion, lubricating and cushioning organs, moving nutrients, flushing toxins from your body and helping you avoid a ton of health problems that I can’t even begin to pronounce, much less spell!

Regardless of what your weight loss goals are, everyone should drink a minimum of 64 ounces a day to reap the benefits of drinking water. If you exercise or are overweight, you should drink even more. Now this might seem insane and more like something a camel should worry about, but in a minute I'll tell you how easy it is to meet this requirement. Before we get to that, allow me to explain some of the numerous benefits of drinking water:

Digestion & Metabolism
If you're not getting enough water, these functions suffer and don't properly and this may prevent you from losing as much weight as you otherwise would if you were getting enough H2O. One of the definite benefits of drinking water are proper digestion and metabolism. Even mild dehydration can slow down metabolism and cause you to work harder to burn the same number of calories.
 

Loss of Body Fat
As you begin having success with your weight loss thanks in no small part to the benefits of drinking water, you’ll lose body fat. As a result, your body increases its percentage of water so the amount of water you need to drink increases each day. As you may be realizing already, the benefits of drinking water are part of a cycle. Everything runs smoother and more calories are burned when you have enough water to keep your body working properly.

Curbs Your Appetite
Drinking 64 ounces of water each day will fill you up so you don't overeat. It's the best natural appetite suppressant you'll find.

Better Workouts
Another of the more tangible benefits of drinking water is more focused and intense workouts. Only missing a few ounces of water each day can mean a 20-30% drop in physical performance! So it is also true that one of the less obvious but very real benefits of drinking water is that it will take you less time to get the body you desire when you get enough of Nature’s purifier thanks to more productive workouts!
Muscle Requires Water: Muscles are roughly 70% water. Exercising maintains and adds muscle while also burning fat. The more muscle you have, the more water your body needs.

Thirst-Hunger Response

When you are dehydrated, your body may signal you to eat when all it really needs is a cool and refreshing glass of the clear stuff. When you feel hungry, try drinking water first because you may be surprised to learn that you are not as hungry as you thought. According to a Washington University study, a few glasses of water will shut down late night hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters. Now is that one of the coolest benefits of drinking water that you have heard yet?

Glycogen Storage
Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate stored in your muscles. It can be used as energy when you're exercising. The more fit you become, the more glycogen is stored in your muscles. Glycogen holds water so the more fit you are, the more water your body will hold and the more water you'll need.
Impaired Liver & Kidney Function: As I said earlier, one of the benefits of drinking water is a properly functioning body. Without enough water, extra amounts of glucose remain in the bloodstream until reaching the liver. The extra glucose is stored as fat. Your body takes water from inside cells in an effort to compensate for a dehydrated state, including fat cells.

The less water you have in your fat cells means less mobilization of fat for energy. One of the liver's primary functions is to turn fat into energy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins, waste, water, and salt out of the bloodstream. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly, and the liver must work overtime to compensate. As a result, it metabolizes (burns) less fat.

Hopefully, the benefits of drinking water will motivate you to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. As I mentioned earlier, this is easier to do than you think. The first thing I highly recommend is that you buy yourself a durable 32-ounce water bottle. Here is a strategy that has worked well for me. I fill my water bottle in the morning and drink it periodically throughout the morning and early afternoon. I then fill it again in the early afternoon and drink it for the rest of the day and early evening. Without even thinking about it, I meet my 64-ounce requirement before dinner. I’ll usually have more water after dinner for a total of about 80 ounces in a day. Since I workout regularly, I always aim for at least 80 ounces of water a day. Another advantage of using a water bottle is that you can take it everywhere you go as a reminder to "drink up!" Before long, you will notice that you are starting to notice the benefits of drinking water without really doing anything terribly difficult to attain them!

Now don’t’ be surprised if you notice that one of the benefits of drinking water seem to be a lot more trips to the bathroom and you may be thinking that that is not really a benefit at all. Don’t panic and think that you have flooded your body or something! Your body just isn’t prepared for the increase in your water intake, but it will adjust and your trips to the bathroom will return to normal. Limit the amount of water you drink every hour to no more than 16 ounces. If you drink more than that, you’ll only stimulate your body to get rid of the water. One of the very logical benefits of drinking water in moderation is that your body will not purge the excess water with excessive urination. Again, just give your body a couple of days to adjust.

One of the best benefits of drinking water up to and exceeding the 64 ounce daily requirement is that you are not thirsty throughout the day. If you do get thirsty, your body is already dehydrated and you need to drink more water to compensate. Finally, the benefits of drinking water are best experienced when you only drink pure water, not things made with water. Technically, water from fruit juices and sports drinks count, but if you get most of your water from those sources you'll be consuming more sugar and calories. Remember, we are looking for those benefits of drinking water like increased weight loss so downing a ton of fruit juice every day is hurting the cause! Plus, if most of your water comes from caffeine products like Coke or coffee, you'll need to actually drink more water to offset the water you'll lose. Caffeine is a diuretic (stimulates your body to release water). The benefits of drinking water are best achieved by drinking water alone!