Water

July 3rd, 2009

Drinking plenty of water is a necessary part of a fat loss plan for three main reasons.

Lipolysis works with water.

 Hydrolysis, a breakdown process that uses a molecule of water, is used once in peripheral lipolysis (breaking down the triglycerides in the fat cells into 3 fatty acids and 1 glycerol that are released in the bloodstream) and three times in the cells while they are using the fatty acids to create  ATP:

1. Activation of fatty acids by hydrolysis of an ATP into 1 AMP and 1 pyrophosphate - energy is required to prepare the process (magnesium is also required).
2. Hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate into 2 phosphates and heat then renders the process irreversible.
3. Each Beta-oxydation that breaks off a two carbon structure (Acetyl co-enzyme A) from the fatty acid requires 1 more hydrolysis.

Then these Acetyl CoA are used in the mitochondria’s respiratory chain + Krebs cycle, and ultimately new ATP is created as well as… water (at the expense of oxygen). So the water is a final bi-product and it can be re-used.

So why do you need to drink more water? Quite simply, although it is recreated, it is needed to start the cycle. And if it is lacking, you get tired instead of using fatty acids for energy.

What goes on in these processes is quite complicated, but all we need to remember is that water comes in the process, and even more water comes out of it, but then you sweat and eliminate water constantly and it must be renewed for both peripheral and mitochondrial lipolysis to continue happening.

Fiber works with water.

There are three types of fiber (insoluble, soluble and prebiotic) and all three work with water. You can read more about these in the dietary fiber page (each type plays an important part).

Some vitamins work with water.

All vitamins need to be dissolved to work. Some are dissolved in water (hydrosoluble) and others in fat (liposoluble). This happens in the digestive process so you need enough water in the digestive track (just as you do for fiber to work).

The fat loss plan includes a few tips on getting yourself to drink more water!

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