# Drinking Cold Water While Working Out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537 "2003-03-06T18:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/1 "2003-03-06T18:12:22Z")
I’ve always been told (and believed) that drinking cold water while working out heavily will lead to stomach cramps. Something about your body trying to warm up the water while it’s busy doing other stuff. However, when I mentioned it in passing to my mother, she dismissed it as an old wive’s tale. Now, when your mother dismisses something as an old wive’s tale, it’s enough to get your attention. Any evidance, dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/2 "2003-03-06T18:18:59Z")
I am under the impression that the body will absorb room temperature water quicker, so the hydration process is faster than with cold water. I never heard about the cramps. I have no cite. Just something I heard. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/3 "2003-03-06T23:41:55Z")
I have always been told that drinking a substantial amount of water of any temperature is going to give you problems when you’re engaging in heavy aerobic excercise (I don’t know about stationary stuff, like weightlifting, etc.) I hear tell you’re supposed to keep it in your mouth for a little while, swallow a bit, but spit most of it out. I don’t know if that’s completely wrong, but that piese of advice has served me well enough. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/4 "2003-03-07T00:41:51Z")
Cold water will be absorbed faster as well as cooling the body. I wear a heart rate monitor and when running in hot weather I will see a decrease in heart rate of 5-7 beats per minute when drinking ice water.(I use a Camelback) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/5 "2003-03-07T01:06:26Z")
My mother always told me this, but I have never found it to be true from personal experience. Dunno if that helps, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/6 "2003-03-07T01:17:11Z")
I was told this by a grade 7 gym teacher, but I don’t believe it. I have read studies of long distance runners and have never heard of anyone having a problem from drinking cold water. I find it helps cool me down, which is quite a benefit. Cold water is fine (but the chlorine will KILL you!!) (just kidding about the chlorine) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/7 "2003-03-07T02:26:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by karomon \* > \*\*I have always been told that drinking a substantial amount of water of any temperature is going to give you problems when you’re engaging in heavy aerobic excercise (I don’t know about stationary stuff, like weightlifting, etc.) I hear tell you’re supposed to keep it in your mouth for a little while, swallow a bit, but spit most of it out. I don’t know if that’s completely wrong, but that piese of advice has served me well enough. \*\* Get out of the stone age. That was the advice I heard when I was in school half a century ago. Your body needs water when working out, and cold water is absorbed more quickly than warm water. Hey, we’re into sports drinks now: water with glucose and electrolytes added. So long as the glucose is 8% or less, it does not interfere with the absorption of water. I will get cites, if you insist, but this is common knowledge now. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-cold-water-while-working-out/159537/8 "2003-03-07T02:29:51Z")
If you’re doing endurance work in hot weather, make sure you have enought salt. > [@](#): > > Lack of fluids set you up for heart stroke, so you are supposed to drink fluids all the time when you exercise in hot weather. You cannot depend on thirst to tell you when you are dehydrated because you won’t feel thirsty from exercise until you have lost between two and four pounds of fluid and by then, it is too late to catch up on your fluid deficit. What the colonel doesn’t mention is that you need to take salt also when you exercise. If you take water and no salt, the water goes into the brain to cause swelling and death. If you take salt with your fluids, the concentration of salt inside and outside your brain remains equal. If the recruits take salt, the salt keeps the water distributed between the cells and the fluid. [http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/1235.html](http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/1235.html)