After a very hot summer we decided to explore the importance of hydration. Can it really help us burn more fat?

Firstly, a question we seem to hear a lot of must be answered!

Whenever I eat one bad thing when I’m out I put on half a stone. Have you ever said these words or heard someone else say this?

Any drastic changes in bodyweight will be accounted due to fluctuations in how your body retains water. So, although this can be motivating at times if you’ve had a sudden drop in bodyweight this can also have a negative effect when weight increases sporadically.

When reducing body fat we may also loose fluids. So those 5lb you may have lost after 2 weeks could be 3lb fat and 2lb of water. You go out for one meals and your weight increases 2lb although you ate healthily.....

Why?

This is because restaurants coat there foods with salt (sodium) so it holds more favour. Sodium is a very important micronutrient for many reasons, one being it helps us retain water which keeps our nourished cells hydrated. Physiologically this could send someone into a downward spiral. Our suggestion is not to weight yourself the day after a meal and to wait a day or two.

How can water help you lose body fat?

Water is essential for cellular homeostasis and life without it can simply only last a matter of days. In fact, a females body consists of 50-55% water and a males 60%.

Although water itself doesn’t cause you to ‘burn body fat’ many of its functions help towards this.

3 REASONS WHY WATER HELPS US GET LEANER

CELL FUNCTIONS

It is responsible for absorbing and transporting all but four vitamins, storing carbohydrate in your liver and muscle tissue, aiding digestion, transporting and removing waste products in the blood, keeping your immune system functioning properly, and so much more. Without optimal water levels arguably every function of your body would be negatively affected in some way. In this case, metabolising fat.

DRINK MORE, EAT LESS

As I’m sure many of you have heard, we can confuse hunger with thirst. One study highlighted middle-aged overweight and obese participants who drank water before each meal lost 44% more weight, compared to a group that did not drink more water!

Another study also showed that drinking water before breakfast reduced the amount of calories consumed during the meal by 13%.

IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Hydration also has a huge impact to both cognitive and physical performance.

Being only 2% dehydrated can have a reduction is blood flow volume, decreased sweat rate, increased body temperature and use of glycogen. This can affect performance by 10-30%. If we cant perform your workout will reduce in intensity therefore having a negative affect to your desired goal.

Come and book a free consultation today with Complex Training - the best body transformation London gym

Does Water Help You Burn Fat?