What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Water First Thing In The Morning

In any health-geared conversation, there are a few words repeated more than any others, with "hydration" being one of them. The medical community has weighed in on how much water we should actually be drinking every day. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 15 ½ cups for men and roughly 11 ½ for women. While hydration can come in many forms, it most importantly comes from drinking water itself. For many, that can seem like a whole lot of water to get in. So, we checked in with an expert to make sure that's the healthy approach.

"Drinking water first thing in the morning helps you catch up after several hours without fluids," explains Chris Mohr, a registered dietitian and fitness and nutrition advisor at Garage Gym Reviews. "Most people wake up mildly dehydrated because we lose water through breathing overnight. Having a glass of water early sets you up to meet your hydration needs more evenly throughout the day instead of playing catch-up later." Essentially, only good can come from hydrating right away. 

Not only will drinking water first thing in the morning help you maximize your daily consumption goals, but you're immediately replenishing hydration your body lost while sleeping. In fact, you may notice that you feel less groggy after that morning glass. That uneasy state is the result of the energy you've already exerted, and water is the key to getting your system moving efficiently again.

The importance of hydration cannot be overstated. "It can help with morning energy, digestion, and regulating appetite," Mohr adds. With additional fluids, your heart doesn't have to work so hard to pump oxygen throughout your system. This hydration burst will also kickstart your metabolism. Cold water especially can catalyze a process called thermogenesis, in which your body switches your metabolism into gear to warm that water up.

Hydration helps boost your heart health overall, too. It assists your body in more efficiently ridding itself of waste, it keeps joints lubricated and so prevents pain, it aids your body's digestive functions, and it even helps with brain function. That's just the tip of the iceberg, and hydration only gets more vital as we age. Our bodies' composition changes, and we experience lower levels of thirst; plus certain medications can cost us fluid. There's clearly a reason (or many reasons, really) why we constantly hear hydration necessity emphasized by our doctors.

So, go ahead and start your day with hydration. You may not want to drink that glass of water you left on your nightstand all night — it's safe to drink but will be stale-tasting and lukewarm. Not only is cooler water refreshing, but it also triggers that thermogenesis. Treat yourself to freshly poured water, and remember there's really no bad time for hydration. It's even beneficial to drink water before your meals.