Warm Water Versus Cold Water: What Should be MY Daily Intake

Water:

First off, we recognize water as a necessity. We need it to sustain our lives. It's the most common beverage. We drink it when working out to keep us from being dehydrated. It has zero calories, yet many health benefits. But what's the difference between the varying temperatures of H₂O? I bet this question hasn't crossed too many people's minds, yet there is a big difference of when you want to drink warm water versus drinking cold water and vice versa.

The Difference:

From an exercising standpoint, warm water isn't the best thing to have. The reason being that warm water tends to sit in your stomach and keep you with the sensation of feeling "full." Now if you're dieting or want to cut down on your calorie intake, drink warm water. It takes longer to digest and leave the body. Since you feel more full with warm water, it allows you to not take in as much food.

If you're an avid exerciser and enjoy sweating and getting your heart rate up, then cold water is your way to go! Generally speaking, the cooler the water, the more you sweat it out. If you want to lose that so-called "water weight", then cold water is the way to go. It is absorbed by your body much quicker than warm water therefore leaving much quicker. Cold water also gives you a cooling perception, especially on a hot day.

Conclusively, they both have their positive and negative effects. Water in general is a negative calorie drink. It actually takes calories to burn off the water. For example, an 8-oz glass of water takes about 8 calories to burn off. But it all depends on what you do in your everyday life or what seems more comfortable for you. So next time you have an intake of water, think about what you want to do in your day and make your choice from there.