Drinking water burns calories?

BrightEyesx3

I've heard that when you drink cold water, you actually burn calories because your body needs to heat up in order to use the water in your system. Is this true?

tony1307

I had heard that in the past, but from what I have seen and heard recently, I believe it is a myth.

kalyn_QT

i doubt it. even if it did the amount of calories burned would be so tiny that it wouldn't make any difference. but i think that cold water burning calories is just a myth.

BlurtLouder

In my first year of university, a chemistry prof did the math in class, and told us that you would have to drink more than a bathtub full of icewater to burn one kcal. There might be less direct benefits, though?

BrianSharpe

In my first year of university, a chemistry prof did the math in class, and told us that you would have to drink more than a bathtub full of icewater to burn one kcal.

That's it in a nutshell.......

rward007

Just my opinion, there are 100's of "this or that will burn more calories" tips. I'd bet that most of them are true to a degree, but the question is: how much?

One of the biggest is muscle burning more calories than fat. True, but based on my research it's very little. I cannot remember the exact figure, but 10lbs of muscle might have been 50 calories a day.

Point is, it may cause more calories to be burned, but I'd estimate it at < 20 calories for a whole day. That is based on no science, just a gut feeling that it cannot take that much energy to heat up a bellyful of water. In the end diet will make all the difference. You could undo an hour of cardio with an order of fries or do the equivalent of a weeks worth of drinking cold water by not eating 1 serving of potato chips. Not that I am saying exercise isn't important, but weight loss begins in the kitchen.

rward007

In my first year of university, a chemistry prof did the math in class, and told us that you would have to drink more than a bathtub full of icewater to burn one kcal. There might be less direct benefits, though?

Seriously, can we get Mythbusters to dedicate an episode to all these calorie burning urban legends?

halliedoll

Ive actually posted this very same topic before, haha. The thing is, according to my more reccent research, your body does have to work harder to process colder temperatures of water. Your body has to take the extra effort to manually warm up cold water, so with that said, it is taking extra energy (a very small maount of calories) to warm up cold water in your system, but its not a ton of calories.

infamousmk

I heard the moon landing was faked.

angrodriguez92

Yes, and sleeping for 2 hours burns 100 calories.

ElizabethRoad

Ive actually posted this very same topic before, haha. The thing is, according to my more reccent research, your body does have to work harder to process colder temperatures of water. Your body has to take the extra effort to manually warm up cold water, so with that said, it is taking extra energy (a very small maount of calories) to warm up cold water in your system, but its not a ton of calories.

Your research?

JuneBPrice

Technically? Yes. But unless you're trying to burn off 1/63 of a baby carrot, it's not really significant.

BrightEyesx3

Thanks for clearing that up everyone. It sounded way too good to be true and I wanted people's opinions on it. Just think how many people would lose weight though if all those weight loss myths were true :laugh:

ElizabethRoad

Thanks for clearing that up everyone. It sounded way too good to be true and I wanted people's opinions on it. Just think how many people would lose weight though if all those weight loss myths were true :laugh:

Or not, because no matter what you do there's a myth saying you're doing it wrong!

taunto

Didn't read the replies however logic dictates that yes, drinking ice cold water does infact burn some calories. Your pee is always warm so the body will have to warm up the water, plus processing and everything. Now the matter of HOW much calories it burns is a different one but I'm sure over the time it adds up

BrightEyesx3

Didn't read the replies however logic dictates that yes, drinking ice cold water does infact burn some calories. Your pee is always warm so the body will have to warm up the water, plus processing and everything. Now the matter of HOW much calories it burns is a different one but I'm sure over the time it adds up

Really? That's the first yes in the thread so far. Interesting though.

ElizabethRoad

No, it really doesn't add up to anything significant.

fit4lyfeLisa

What about jumping into freezing cold water and staying in there until one is hypothermic? I wonder how many calories that would burn?

LOL

BrightEyesx3

Ive actually posted this very same topic before, haha. The thing is, according to my more reccent research, your body does have to work harder to process colder temperatures of water. Your body has to take the extra effort to manually warm up cold water, so with that said, it is taking extra energy (a very small maount of calories) to warm up cold water in your system, but its not a ton of calories.

And that is how I heard this myth, from a doctor on TV explaining this

sarahgilmore1

it takes 1calorie of energy (little c, not a 'food' calorie, or big C) to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

to raise 1 cup (250g) of 4 degree water (fridge temp) to body temp it would take 250 x 33 = 8,250 calories, or 8.25 kCal.

if you'd otherwise be drinking the water room-temperature, say 20 degrees Celsius, then you're only raising it by 17 degrees so the burn 'gain' is 4.25kCal