The average person needs at least 1.5 liters of water a day. Life is not possible without water. A healthy adult can survive for about three days without water. However, temperatures and physical constitution can influence the survival time. Without oxygen, a person will pass out after around two to three minutes. Water and oxygen are very important factors, especially for athletes. This is why a few years ago, drinks manufacturers came up with the idea of adding oxygen to water. But what effect is achieved?
Why oxygen is so important
Breathing is the most natural thing in the world for a healthy person. The human body converts around 0.4 liters of oxygen per minute. This takes about 17 breaths. If the supply of oxygen from outside is prevented, it becomes critical for the organism. As long as there are still oxygen reserves in the blood, the human body can survive. There are strong physiological differences here. A person’s level of training also has a massive influence on how long a lack of oxygen can be tolerated. Just 20 seconds of oxygen deprivation usually stops normal brain activity. The first cell damage occurs after around 2 to 3 minutes. Irreparable damage to the brain occurs after just 5 minutes. On average, 10 minutes without oxygen leads to clinical death. Nevertheless, the world record for holding his breath is said to be an astonishing 24 minutes.
The minimal plus of oxygen – in the water?
Oxygen, chemically referred to as O2, is often associated with performance in sport. The first oxygenated water came onto the market at the end of the 1990s. But the drinks are controversial when it comes to real health benefits. As with all foods and drinks, the first thing to look at is the list of ingredients. In addition to water and oxygen, artificial flavors and sweeteners are often added to oxygen drinks. These two unnatural additives can be harmful to the body if consumed frequently and over a long period of time.
If you look at the contribution that the oxygen in the drink makes to the body’s overall oxygen supply, it is very small compared to the amount of O2 inhaled. Around 580 g of oxygen are absorbed daily through breathing. Conventional drinking water contains a maximum of 10 mg of oxygen per liter. Oxygen waters usually contain up to 90 mg O2per liter of drink. The minimal increase in oxygen provided by these products could just as easily be achieved with a few more breaths.
To optimize oxygen storage: If you want to improve your performance in a simpler way, you can optimize the oxygen storage capacity of your cells through regular exercise. You can do this very easily by walking or jogging, for example. Don’t forget to drink water, of course!
