WATER is life… but for some old-school fitness trainers, just not during exercise.
If you’ve ever heard a trainer advise you not to drink cold water while exercising, and to just drink warm water instead, they’re most likely taking their lead from the cultural concept of “pasma”, or the way our body interacts with hot and cold elements.
But it’s an idea that sports nutritionist Jeaneth Aro — part of Hidilyn Diaz’s elite Team HD — vigorously debunks in one of her most recent Facebook posts.
“Kahit ang pag-inom ng malamig na tubig ay hindi narin pinatawad! Sabi kasi ng ilan, bawal uminom ng malamig na tubig pag nag-exercise or pag pagod dahil baka daw mapasma,” Aro writes.
“Pero alam nyo ba mga friends, ang pag-consume ng malamig na inumin ay mayroong naidudulot na benefits sa performance lalo na kung ang exercise or competition ay gagawin sa isang mainit or humid na environment/lugar.”
Debunking the fitness myth
Pasma is also closely connected with that old warning of not taking a cold shower after vigorous, sweaty exertion. But while the worst that could happen there is that you’ll likely stink up whatever room you’re in, depriving yourself of cold fluids during exercise can make things tougher on your body.
After all, “exercising in heat can affect performance negatively (1) because of changes in cardiovascular and central nervous system function, rise in core temperature, [and] potential for earlier onset of fatigue,” continued Aro, who has been working with Diaz since 2017, and played a key role in her Olympic victory.
The nutritionist listed benefits of taking in cold fluids before, during, and after exercise (or even during breaks between matches).
A common theme? Cold fluids will help you adjust better to exercising or playing in hot, humid environments (and given our location in the tropics, that’s almost every gym, track, arena, or playing field in the country).
For instance, “after exercise or during breaks or in between matches, makakatulong ang pag-inom ng cold fluids upang mas mapabilis ang pag-papababa ng core temperature na syang maaring magbigay daan upang mas lalong tumagal or mapatagal ang kakayanan na makapag-exercise,” said Aro.
She doesn’t discount the psychological effects, either.
“Makakatulong din ang mga cold drinks upang mapababa ang rate of perceived exertion (RPE) sa mga pagkakataon mataas ang intensity ng training (>65%VO2 max) at mapaimprove ang overall ‘thermal comfort’ level ng athlete,” she wrote.
In other words: Drinking cold fluids feels good, and is actually good for you. Especially when you exercise.
So if hear that old superstition being paraded around again, show them Jeaneth Aro’s very useful Facebook post, just to pour a little ice water into that baseless myth.
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