WATER IS THE building block of life as we know it, and you should be proactive about keeping yourself hydrated even when you aren’t training or being active. The Mayo Clinic has found that an average daily water intake for a man is about three liters. But hydration isn’t the only benefit you’ll experience from drinking that much—your general health should improve as well.
1) Water consumption helps you tolerate more pain
Dismissing water from your daily diet can lead to some obvious conditions like fatigue, but have you heard of this one yet? That’s right, according to research published in the journal Psychophysiology, gulping down the liquid beverage can actually help sustain your tolerance to pain. For the study, 17 healthy male participants were put through two tests: one in which they regularly consumed the clear liquid, and the second which required neglecting the beverage for 24 hours. After each test, the researchers dunked the partcipants’ feet in ice-cold water (0-3°) for a maximum of four minutes. They discovered that when the males were in the “dehydrated state,” their inclination to yank away their toes was far more greater than when they were fully fueled with water. Meaning: Their perception and sensitivity to pain was significantly higher when deprived of water. Consider the tactic next time you try recovering with an ice bath. Or better yet, up your H2O intake in general. I mean, who wouldn’t want to tough out pain more than the next guy?
2) Water helps you maintain normal body function
Research has shown that water speeds up your metabolism, cleans the body of toxins, and generally helps to make everything in your body run smoothly. Considering an adult male is usually 60% water, this all makes sense. You need that water to digest food, circulate blood, keep your mouth from drying out, and do a number of other things we often take for granted. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty—be proactive about it.
3) Water can make you feel better in everyday life
Scientists from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands found that patients who suffered from severe headaches and migraines enjoyed an improved quality of life by drinking about seven glasses of water a day. Drink up and stay healthy.