What is the relationship between drinking water and weight loss. Can something as simple as being adequately hydrated actually affect weight loss? Preliminary research is showing that adequate hydration has a tremendous effect on cell function and metabolism. This in turn greatly affects fat burning and weight loss. Hopefully this article gives you an insight on the water and weight loss connection.

Our bodies are largely composed of fluids. Approximately 55-60% of our body weight is made up of fluids. It helps with many tasks including temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, waste product removal and metabolism.

Water and Fat Burning

The amount of fluid content in a cell relates to the cell-volume. A cell will expand in volume as its water content increases. It will deflate when the water content decreases. This expansion or swelling of the cell relates to how well hydrated it is.

A study published in the Journal Metabolism investigated the effects of cellular hydration on fat  burning. The researchers found that increased cellular volume lead to an increase in fat burning. According to another study published in the Journal Lancet, researchers suggested that increased cellular hydration actually increased the activity of enzymes that facilitated fat burning.

Another related study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study reaffirmed the effects of hydration on fat burning and prevention of muscle break down. The authors concluded that when the body was adequately hydrated, fat burning increased and muscle break down was reduced. This is essentially what produces sustainable weight loss. Drinking water and weight loss were closely related at the cellular level.

Water and Weight Loss

Researchers conducted a study on 5785 Chinese and published the findings in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They searched for correlations between energy intake and weight status with nutrient intake. Nutrients here referred to fat, protein, carbohydrates and water. The researchers concluded that higher hydration levels were correlated with lower calorie intake and lower body weight. The researchers also concluded that higher hydration levels resulted in people eating lower calorie density food.

Cell Hydration Affects Its Function

Researchers of a study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggested that cell hydration has a major effect on its metabolism and overall functioning. This in turn also affects fat burning. A cell that is properly hydrated can function at optimum levels. This includes transport of nutrients into the cell and transport of waste out.

Role of Water in Preventing Muscle Loss

Anyone wanting to lose weight should attempt to hold on to their muscles. In fact attempts should be made to increase muscle mass as this helps in maintaining weight loss. A lot of diet programs result in massive muscle loss. This is one of the main reason for rebound weight gain.

A group of German researchers investigated the effects of cellular hydration on muscle break down. The finding of this study were published in the Journal Lancet. The researchers suggested that muscle breakdown was greatly reduced when cells were adequately hydrated. Another article in Ital J Gastroenterol reaffirms the importance of cellular hydration and the role it plays in muscle-building and breakdown.

Hydration and Growth Hormone Release

The Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. It greatly facilitates fat burning and muscle-building. HGH also has some amazing anti-aging properties.

Weight training exercises and high intensity cardio exercises induce the greatest release of growth hormones. This is one of the main reasons why these exercises are effective for weight loss. An article published in the European Journal of Endocrinology found that exercise induced growth hormone release was effected by hydration levels. Low levels of hydration resulted in a reduced release of growth hormones during exercise.

This was another way in which inadequate hydration levels could be working against weight loss efforts.

Eating Water Rich Food and the Effect on Weight Loss

A study was conducted that examined the effects of consuming high water containing foods on calories intake. The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers concluded that consuming foods with a high fluid content more effectively reduced subsequent food consumption than just drinking water with food.

Water Before a Meal

Researchers studied the effects of drinking water and weight loss when the water was consumed before a meal. The participants were also on a reduced calorie diet. The findings were published in the Journal Obesity. The researchers concluded that drinking 500 ml of water when on a reduced calorie diet produced greater weight loss.

Water Aids Your Weight Loss Efforts

Most of the preliminary research on water and weight loss has yielded positive results. Water and weight loss are closely connected. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by being adequately hydrated. Adequate hydration has been shown to aid fat burning, affect exercise induced growth hormone release and satiety. A lot of people neglect the importance of water on their weight loss efforts. Hopefully after reading this article, anyone wanting to lose weight will better understand the water and weight loss connection.