# Drinking really cold water

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727 "2003-05-02T21:29:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hauss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5fc32e/32.png) [@hauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hauss)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727/1 "2003-05-02T21:29:47Z")

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People say that drinking really cold water (such as ice water in a thermos) “shocks your system”. What does this mean? How much is too much and how cold is too cold? Does it make any difference if you are already hot or just sitting at home in AC?

My brother and I do lawns in S. Florida and we have realized a HUGE difference in our fatigue level compared to when we drink lukewarm water and cold water. We are able to go on cutting forever when we have cold water. **We don’t chug the cold water and we never get little brain freezes.** We sip the water and it makes all the difference, but everybody we tell says “Oh, that’s so bad for your body”. I think that’s BS and I need you guys to confirm.

How can we tell if we are hurting our bodies?

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727/2 "2003-05-02T21:37:34Z")

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You’re not hurting your body. The reason you’re feeling better when drinking cold water rather than warm is because the cold water is helping a lot with cooling you down.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727/3 "2003-05-03T01:43:58Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Oh, that’s so bad for your body

When they tell you that, ask them, “Well, what exactly does it do?” This is almost like the old belief that if you eat fish and milk in the same meal, you’ll get sick.

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**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727/4 "2003-05-03T03:16:48Z")

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I’m sure _someone_’s god has proscribed the mixing of fish and milk.

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**Author:** ![stypticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@stypticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stypticus)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drinking-really-cold-water/172727/5 "2003-05-03T05:15:35Z")

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Well, have _you_ ever tried to milk a fish?

If I were someone’s god, I’d proscribe it too.