In reality, water is the only “element” of your exercise program that needs to be part of your pre, post and actual workout regimen.  Meaning, you should be hydrated before, during and after your workout in order to help you body perform at its best; leaving it primed for the long-term health and fitness results you desire.

However, while many of you are aware of its effectiveness, you still avoid imbibing.  Furthermore, it has been brought to my attention that there is a “brewing” debate as to whether water should be drank hot or cold.

While drinking any quantifiable amounts of water suppresses one’s appetite, The Hot School of Thought says, drinking hot water suppress it more.  Maybe for some.

However, there is scientific evidence that drinking cold water is more effective.  Here’s how:

When cold water (let’s say at a temperature of 0 degrees), the body (being at a steady 98.6, if it’s not sick) heats it up when it enters the bloodstream and is later excreted at 37 degrees.  The “energy” the body uses to go through this process is calorie burning.  Yes my dear Saints, a calorie (take note of the lower case c) actually IS the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.  So, in the above example, the body will burn 37 calories (again lower c) per gram of water as it is “digested”  before passing through.

So, what does that mean for Calories (note capital C) or kilocalories (kcal) when it comes to weight loss?  As you’ve heard before, a pound of fat (and of muscle, for that matter) is equal to 3,500 Calories.  Therefore, one would need to drink 95 liters of cold water in order to lose one pound of fat.  That’s why I urge you all to drink a gallon (close to 4 liters) a day.  In doing so, in about a month you’ll lose an “added” pound of fat to your results.

And if that’s too much math for a Sunday, how about this logic?  When the body intakes cold water, it normally beings to shiver, even if a little.  When the body is cold, it tries to keep warm.  In doing so, it is burns extra calories above its normal metabolic rate.  The result?  A faster metabolism; resulting in more potential fat loss.

So my 65 percenters (the average amount of water the adult body is made up of), when it comes to drinking water, do what works best for you.  If drinking hot water makes you less hungry, go for it.  But if you want optimal results, down the cold and feel your body burn the Calories (yup, the capital C).