Tag: Water

curb your appetite water

Curb your appetite

Posted dgreenisfit2 CommentsPosted in Diet

When dieting to lose weight one of the hardest things is to find is a way to curb your appetite. Some days it is really easy to stick to the plan others I get the worst cravings to stray off the diet potentially ruining days to even a week of solid progress. However if I could contribute one way to curb your appetite and to stay on track that would have to be drinking water. Drinking water causes distention of gastrointestinal organs meaning you are fuller and less likely to eat. Gastric distention during meal ingestion activates vagal afferents, which send signals from the stomach to the brain and result in the perception of fullness. During competition prep I would constantly drink water to control my appetite. For 16 weeks of controlled dieting I only had 3 to 4 cheat meals. Water can help curb your your appetite and keep your mind and goals on track. Studies presented below show evidence for osmoreceptors (salt) and glucoreceptors (sugar) playing a role in satiety (feeling full). The studies also show that distention and pressure within the stomach help us feel full. In a study of 17 individuals for 8 weeks of water consumption at 1.5 gallons they had lower appetites, lower weight and body fat percentages as well! It’s hard getting in a lot of water in during the day especially if you are trying to hit a gallon to a gallon and a half of water. The best way to hit your water goal for the day is make yourself a schedule. Personally I make sure I drink 25-30 oz of water with every meal. I also make sure to drink the same amount right when I wake up, before and after I go to the gym or do cardio. There is 128 oz in a gallon so with this in mind if you consume 30 oz of water first thing when you’re awake, with three meals, before and after physical activity you would reach 1.4 gallons of water a day. So if you wanted to reach 1.5 gallons of water a day, you would only have to consume an extra 13 oz of water! Some other things you can try is using a serving or two of BCAA throughout the day to help make it more appealing and help with the sweetness craving. There are also other ways to make it more appealing such as adding lemons or low calorie sweeteners for example. People who are replacing juices and sodas with water will see and even better result in reduced weight and body fat. The are also more benefits with drinking water such as physical performance,cognitive performance, kidney and heart function and may even help boost metabolism. At the end of the day try your best to consume a good amount of water throughout the day and use water to your advantage.

Sources for curb your appetite:

Gastric distention activates satiety circuitry in the human brain.

Gastrointestinal factors in hunger and satiety.

Effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants

Water, Hydration and Health

How much water to drink Ironsnack shark glass of water

How much water to drink in a day?

Posted DylanPosted in Diet

The Question:

How much water should you actually drink per day? It is common knowledge that hydration is extremely important to health and exercise. The human body is made up of around 60% water, and it is extremely important for helping remove toxic metabolic byproducts with the help of namely your kidneys and liver. Water also helps with regulating bowel movements and increasing muscles growth. This is good to know, but how much water is the right amount? This is a question that we have been asked a lot recently, and I started looking into the research. We have all heard the common 8 glasses per day but recently there has been an abundance of YouTubers telling us to drink a gallon of water a day. So what is the real amount of water you should aim for? Let us tell you below!!

The Science Behind Daily Water Needs:

Throughout the research, the amount of water is usually shown in glasses, ounces, liters, and gallons. Seeing as this can get pretty confusing, I am going to show all of the conversions to you up front, and always use glasses of water to equalize the results as we discuss.

8 ounces = 1 glass

4 glasses = 1 liter

3.8 liters = 1 gallon

In the journal of Nutrition Reviews, Dr. Sawka found that while  human’s need for water consumption can vary considerably given exercise and heat stressors, the vast majority of men need around 3.7 L (15 glasses) and the majority of women need around 2.7 L (11 glasses) of water per day. So while 8 glasses per day has been a staple for decades, it seems that the numbers we actually need is much higher.

The Institute of Medicine also compiled many research studies into a list called the dietary reference intake. This agrees with Dr. Sawka’s finding for adult males 14 years and older (15 glasses) and adult females 14 years and older (11 glasses). It also talks about children 1-3 (5 glasses) and 4-8 (7 glasses). Pubescent males need around 13 glasses, and pubescent females around 9 glasses.

The Science Behind Water Needs While Working Out:

The American Council on Exercise reviewed 16 studies and published a great list of recommendations regarding how much water is required while exercising. Ironsnack Fitness reviewed their recommendations and summarized those with valid evidence below.

  1. Drink 2-3 glasses of water within 2 hours before working out
  2. Drink 1 glass of water 30 minutes prior to working out
  3. Drink 1 glass of water for every 20 minutes of workout
  4. Drink another glass after you finished working out
  5. If you are working out for longer than an hour it is important to replenish your carbs and electrolytes with some sports drink

Thoughts From a Triathlete:

As a long distance triathlete hydration is extremely important to me. This next section is from personal experience and words from coaches and Ironman finishers.  During long distance triathlons, I always have multiple bottles of water handy during my bike and run. Along with a bottle that I sip on after my swim while changing and getting ready for the bike. Drinking water during the transition is not necessarily a recommended action, because it wastes some time from the actual race. That being said, I know that when I played college tennis, the minute I would get dehydrated even slightly my game play would drop tremendously. Because of this I usually opt to take a few minutes extra for water breaks in transition, and hope that it takes time that could have been wasted if I let myself get dehydrated. I usually will drink one bottle of straight water, and multiple bottle of a sports drink during both the bike and runs depending on length. For beginner triathletes that usually ends up being a bottle mixed of water and gatorade. There is a company called Infinit, that now will spend 30 min talking with you on the phone and completely customize a sports drink to your height, weight, and racing style. That is what I have been using and I am very excited about it. I also found this water bottle which I love because it’s easy to clean and lets me keep track of how much I am drinking. Regardless of what you use, make sure to stay well hydrated! I have seen people who have messed up their hydration, and it ruins the entire race for them. Follow the simple guides we have provided here and hydration should never be a problem for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or contact us.

Resources For How Much Water To Drink:

Human Water Needs

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/63/suppl_1/S30/1927756/Human-Water-Needs

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Total Water and Macronutrients

http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRI-Tables/3_RDA%20AI%20AMDR%20Values_Total%20Water%20and%20Macronutr.pdf?la=en

Healthy Hydration

https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy_living_fit_facts_content.aspx?itemid=173