‘Watergate’: Myths & Facts

Did you know – Water isn’t wet.

Divides opinion as a statement and until you actually consider the science of it, it’s hard to get your noggin around it…even then it’s not the easiest sell.

Wetness is the ability of liquid to adhere to the surface of a solid, so when we say something is wet, we mean that the liquid is sticking to the surface of a material. Similar to the way that Fire isn’t on fire. When you actually start looking at this there’s a lot of arguments about the topic. As an example, is a fish wet when it’s in water, or, does it only become wet when it is taken out of the water?

I’ll leave you to consider all of that and move on to the point of this article.

Water makes up 71% of the Earth’s surface. It also makes up 60% of the average human body. Safe to say it’s a bit of big deal. Without wanting to sound too ‘Dad’ish’ I’d even go as far as saying it’s on trend.

So, before you go investing a small fortune in your new Chilly’s water bottle, I’ve done a bit of research for you to see what science says:

Everyone needs to drink 8 glasses of water per day: Myth

How big is a glass? 8 shot glasses of water per day is doable, 8 litre glasses of water per day is a different story. Men should aim for 3 litres of any fluid and Women should aim for 2 litres.

Water is the only thing that hydrates the body: Myth

Nope. The human body absorbs water from all kinds of things, including food (yey!), although it’s mainly fruits and veg like cucumber, berries, tomatoes and lettuce, not really pizza (boo!). Tea and Coffee do contribute to your fluid intake but drinking lots of either can inevitably lead to dehydration, plus Caffeine is a known diuretic (science for “this makes you wee lots”).

It’s possible to drink too much water: Fact

Although it’s uncommon, it is possible. The kidneys (God bless em) can eliminate around 20-28 litres of water per day but they can’t do more than around 0.8-1 litre per hour. Thankfully, it’s pretty tough to drink too much although it’s something to bear in mind for people unfortunate enough to suffer from kidney problems or for people drinking a lot of water in a very short space of time.

Drinking water is the best way to lose weight: Myth

We live in a time of quick fixes, crash diets and detoxing. Many programmes champion water and maximising your intake. That’s great, you’re going to be super hydrated and will feel better as water keeps your blood flowing through your body. Water is often used in these plans as it replaces sugary drinks and snacks therefore acting as a reduction to your calorie intake.

Water is the best thing to drink after exercise: Myth

Recovery/Sports drinks were big business at one point. Then we all started to get bothered about sugar and now a lot of people swerve them. Subject to the exercise you’ve done, your body needs to replace the minerals and carbohydrates it’s lost through sweat. Some of these drinks and electrolyte tables in particular are very effective in replacing the electrolytes you’ve lost through sweating.

Well now you know the truths that you didn’t realise you were actually interested in, grab yourself a glass and off you go, water you waiting for!?