Why Alkaline Water Is Better For Hydration

Discover the reasons why alkaline water is a top choice for hydration.

RELATED: Introducing Your Body To Alkaline Water

In this article:

1. How Alkaline Water Keeps You Healthy
2. What Is Hydration and Why Is It Important?
3. What Is Alkaline Water?
4. What Makes Alkaline Water the Best Hydration Drink?
5. How Does Alkaline Water Affect the Cells?
6. The Other Health Benefits of Alkaline Water

Alkaline Water Supports Your Hydration Needs Way Better Than the Others

How Alkaline Water Keeps You Healthy

In recent years, alkaline water became popular among health enthusiasts and professional athletes.

Some NBA stars such as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony drink it to maintain proper hydration.

Many health buffs also believe alkaline water offers different benefits. These can range from losing weight to helping fight chronic illnesses.

The question is, how much of this buzz is true? Does alkaline water offer a better way to hydrate?

Let’s take a look at the benefits of hydration and what alkaline water is. We’ll also explore the reasons it is one of the best hydration drinks.

What Is Hydration, and Why Is It Important?

Before we talk about alkaline water and its benefits, let’s get down to the basics of hydration.

We all know water is essential for survival. It explains how dehydration can affect your physical health and body function.

The problem is that it’s easy for the body to become dehydrated.

People work out or perform different strenuous physical activity on a daily basis. Every time they do, the body loses water through sweating.

Losing even 2% of body mass from sweating can impair your physiological performance. It can also reduce aerobic function.

Over time, dehydration can lead to lowered metabolic function and reduced neurological function. It may also increase the risk of heat strain.

Dehydration can also cause cardiac drift. This occurs when your heart rate rises while the amount of blood pumped out of the heart decreases.

What is cardiac drift? 

It lowers the amount of oxygen your body absorbs. In turn, it reduces your physical performance.

In other words, your body needs to stay hydrated so you can perform your best at all times.

What Is Alkaline Water?

Alkaline water is a type of water with a higher pH level than bottled or tap water. A substance’s pH level measures how alkaline or acidic it is on a scale of 0 to 14.

Something with a pH level of 2 is very acidic while a fluid with a pH level of 12 is alkaline.

Normal drinking water has a neutral pH of 7.

Alkaline water is around 8 or 9 on the pH scale. Alkaline water with a 9.5 pH is the healthiest kind of water to drink.

It can provide your body with several vital minerals. These are helpful in maintaining proper function.

These include potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. All these minerals have important roles to play.

Sodium and potassium, in particular, are critical for balancing your hydration levels.

RELATED: Calcium Benefits: Alkaline Water Is A Great Resource!

What Makes Alkaline Water the Best Hydration Drink?

Now that you know what alkaline water is, let’s look at why it tops the list of hydration drinks.

The most compelling evidence comes from a 2016 study. You can read it in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine.

The research included 100 participants, who performed a mild exercise routine. It then led to a 2% loss in body mass through sweating.

After the exercise, half of them then needed to hydrate with alkaline water. The others received regular water.

The researchers then measured the “thickness” of the blood or blood viscosity. They learned those who drank alkaline water had a lower viscosity than those who had standard water.

The alkaline water group saw their blood viscosity drop by 6.3%. Those who drank regular purified water only experienced a 3.36% decline.

What does this mean?

Blood viscosity is a measure of hydration. The lower the blood viscosity is, the higher the hydration level should be.

Those who drank alkaline water tend to be more hydrated than those who consumed regular water. This research somehow demonstrates alkaline water’s superior hydrating effects.

How Does Alkaline Water Affect the Cells?

Other studies also support this conclusion such as this one from the Journal of General Physiology.

The researchers examined the class of proteins called aquaporins to learn how they work. These are present in the body’s cells.

They play an important role in regulating how water moves in and out of your cells. They feature a hollow channel that lets water molecules pass through one at a time.

The researchers found the response of aquaporins can vary according to the molecule.

When acids were present, they seemed to close and prevent water from moving between cells. This response prevented protons (or positively charged particles) from escaping the cells.

As we mentioned above, alkaline water has the opposite charge from acidic water.

Aquaporins would close to prevent the outflow of positively charged acidic water. Excess electrons found in alkaline water, though, could flow freely and quickly.

This mechanism helps maintain proper hydration throughout the body.

The Other Health Benefits of Alkaline Water

There’s no doubt alkaline water can provide better hydration. It’s not the only benefit, though.

Alkaline water can offer other significant advantages. Studies demonstrated alkaline water’s potential to help improve blood circulation and reduce acid reflux symptoms.

Some journals cited how it can regulate blood sugar and promote bone health. Other studies suggested alkaline water can improve metabolic response and hydration status of athletes.

 

Drinking alkaline water is one important way to ensure your body receives all the nutrients necessary to function properly.

Staying well-hydrated is an important part of every healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, male or female.

Figuring out the best way to hydrate yourself and maintain the proper hydration level is key for keeping your body functioning at its optimal level.

Thanks to its unique properties, alkaline water is the best—and the easiest—way to keep hydrated and reap the incredible benefits of hydration. Enjoy it when you get your own Tyent water ionizer!

Do you drink alkaline water for hydration? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

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