The Science of Hydration: How Water Supports Digestion, Energy, and Health
🕒 4-5 min read
Just popping in? Catch the quick essentials:
Proper hydration supports every function in your body, from digestion and metabolism to mood, workouts, skin, and kidney health.
Include hydrating whole foods like fruits, veggies, and proteins to help reach your daily water goals.
Ready to track your water and digestion? Grab your free 7-Day Food & Observation Journal.
If you want to improve digestion, boost energy, and support overall health, this blog is for you.
📌 Keep reading - or save this post for later when you’re ready to focus on your hydration.
As health tips go, drinking enough water has been pushed for decades. You may have even heard the saying, “You can go weeks without food but only three days without water.”
It’s easy to think of hydration as just another wellness checkbox.
Drink a glass of water, carry your bottle everywhere, drink some more…lather, rinse, repeat.
If you genuinely enjoy the taste of water, hitting your hydration goals can feel effortless. But if you don’t love plain water, or if your day is fueled mostly by coffee or soda, it can feel much harder to get enough.
The truth is hydration is so much more than a daily task. Water is the foundation that allows your body to digest, think, move, and restore. Without it, even the most well-intentioned health habits fall short.
I see this all the time as a Master Nutrition Therapist. When my clients understand the true importance of water, they become more open to working on their intake.
And the results speak for themselves: improved digestion, better moods, stronger workouts, more energy, and even deeper sleep.
Let’s dive into the science of hydration, explore how water supports your body on every level, and learn simple, sustainable ways to meet your hydration needs.
The Science of Hydration
You probably already know water is essential for health, but what does that actually mean for your body? The truth is, water is needed for every chemical reaction that keeps you alive and thriving. It’s the force behind your metabolism, digestion, energy, and even the way you move and think. Here are 5 ways water quietly works behind the scenes in your body.
1. Water powers your metabolism
Metabolism isn’t just about burning calories. It’s the sum of all the chemical reactions that keep your body running. It’s how your cells process nutrients, communicate with each other, and maintain energy so you can move, think, and thrive. Water is essential for your metabolism. It helps nutrients reach where they need to go, lets enzymes do their jobs, and supports your nervous system signaling. Without enough hydration, your metabolism slows, and your body can’t function at its best.
From a run outside to simply getting through a busy day, water supports your energy needs so you can show up fully for your activities and daily life.
2. Water directs transport in your body
Your body has transport systems that deliver nutrients, oxygen, enzymes, and hormones where they need to go, while also clearing out waste. Your blood does most of the heavy lifting, but your kidneys and other detox pathways play a key role too. Since blood is mostly water, hydration is essential to deliver what your body needs and remove what it doesn’t. Without enough water, nutrients may not get where they’re needed and toxins can build up, which can affect digestion and energy.
3. Water helps regulate your temperature
Your body needs to stay at the right temperature, no matter how active you are or how sunny it is outside. This is where water’s unique properties come into play. It can store heat to prevent sudden temperature changes and cool you down by spreading that heat out and releasing it through sweat. Without adequate hydration it’s tougher for your body to manage heat, which can affect both your energy and digestion.
4. Water maintains structure
Every cell in your body relies on water to maintain its shape and work properly. Water also helps support the volume of plasma in your blood, making sure oxygen and nutrients reach the tissues that need them. Without enough hydration, cells can’t function optimally, and you’ll feel more tired, easily sick, and prone to digestive issues.
5. Water keeps things moving mechanically
Water helps your body move smoothly by acting as a lubricant for many systems. It’s part of the synovial fluid that cushions your joints, saliva that kickstarts digestion, and tears that keep your eyes moist. It even protects the lining of your digestive tract. Without enough water, simple acts like moving, swallowing, or digesting can feel harder, which may contribute to digestive discomfort, stiffness, or pain.
When you see hydration this way - not just as a checkbox, but as the foundation for your body to function at its best - it becomes easier to value every sip. And once those sips add up to proper hydration, those internal processes translate into real-world benefits you can feel every day.
Proper hydration isn’t just a routine. It’s the foundation that helps your body function at its best, supporting energy, digestion, and overall wellness throughout your day.
7 Ways Hydration Supports Your Body
Proper hydration doesn’t just support your body internally. It shows up in your digestion, energy, mood, performance, and even your skin. Here are seven ways staying hydrated helps you thrive:
Improved digestion and nutrient absorption. Water helps break down your food, move it through your digestive tract, and transport nutrients to your cells. Staying hydrated supports regular bowel movements, reduces bloating, and allows your body to get the most from the foods you eat.
Better energy and metabolism. Proper hydration keeps your metabolism humming, helping you burn calories efficiently and maintain energy. When you’re hydrated, it’s easier to feel energized to tackle your day.
Sharper focus and a more positive mindset. Even mild dehydration can bring fatigue, irritability, or trouble concentrating. Staying hydrated helps you think clearly, remember important details, stay on task, and feel grounded throughout the day.
Easier weight control and efficient fat use. Water plays a role in metabolism, including helping your body burn fat efficiently. Staying hydrated makes it easier to burn fat for energy and manage your weight naturally.
More effective workouts. Muscles are mostly water, so even mild dehydration can increase fatigue, decrease endurance, and slow your recovery. Staying hydrated helps you perform at your best, build strength, and get the most from your workouts.
Healthier looking skin. Hydration helps keep your skin supple, hydrated, and resilient to environmental stressors. While genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle also matter, staying hydrated helps maintain elasticity and lock in moisture when paired with good skincare.
Better kidney function and toxin removal. Staying hydrated helps your kidneys filter waste effectively, reduce the risk of kidney stones, and support healthy blood volume and blood pressure so your body can work optimally every day.
How to Naturally Meet Your Hydration Needs
You’ve probably heard the old “8 glasses a day” rule. While it’s a decent starting point, I prefer a more personalized approach. A simple way to set your hydration goal is to aim for roughly half your body weight in ounces. For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds would aim for about 75 ounces of water per day. That number goes up if you’ve had a tough workout, are recovering from illness, or are navigating hot or challenging conditions.
Thankfully, you don’t need to chug water all day or spend half your time in the bathroom to hit that target. Hydration comes from more than just plain water. Herbal teas, broths, and even the foods you eat all contribute. The key is finding a combination that feels effortless and enjoyable for your lifestyle.
In my earlier post on hydration, I shared practical ways to drink more water throughout the day. Now let’s take a closer look at where water comes from in your diet and how it supports your body at a cellular level.
Some of the most hydrating foods are already sitting on your plate:
Veggies: Nearly all vegetables are 80% water or more. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and leafy greens can be up to 96% water, helping you hydrate with every bite.
Fruits: Fresh fruit is another powerful source of water. Most fruit contains over 80% water (even bananas are about 74%) which can count toward your hydration goals.
Whole-food proteins: Proteins aren’t just for muscle. They can also contribute to hydration. Silken tofu is about 90% water, cottage cheese 80%, eggs nearly 75%, and even cooked chicken carries 65-70% water.
By leaning on water-rich foods as part of your meals, you’re naturally improving your hydration throughout the day…sometimes even before you take your first sip.
Hydrating foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole-food proteins naturally contribute to your daily water intake, supporting your body’s hydration and overall wellness with every meal.
Not sure how much water you’re drinking? Grab your free 7-Day Food & Observation Journal to track your water, meals, symptoms, and lifestyle choices and start making meaningful shifts.
Quick Takeaways for Everyday Hydration
To easily hit your hydration goals, focus on these everyday strategies:
Track your intake: Use a water bottle with measurements or a hydration app to see your starting point and progress.
Include water-rich foods: Fill your plate with plenty of fresh fruits, veggies and proteins.
Mix in other beverages: Enjoy herbal teas or sparkling water to count toward your daily goal.
Pair hydration with activity: Take a few sips before, during, and after workouts to improve your performance.
Add variety to your water: Infuse water with fruits, herbs, or a splash of citrus to make sipping more enjoyable.
Final Thoughts: More than a checkbox
Hydration isn’t just a checkbox on your wellness list. It’s the foundation for nearly every function in your body. From digestion and metabolism to mood, workouts, skin, and kidney health, water helps you feel your best.
Simply becoming aware of how important water is can encourage real change. Pay attention to your hydration, enjoy water-rich foods, and find simple ways to sip throughout the day. Let every sip and hydrating meal be a chance to support your digestion, energy, and health journey.
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RESOURCES
Boundless. ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate. In: Microbiology. LibreTexts; 2022. Accessed December 10, 2024. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Boundless)/02:_Chemistry/2.05:_Organic_Compounds/2.5.06:_ATP-_Adenosine_Triphosphate
© Stephanie Walsh and Walsh Approach, 2025. I pour a lot of care into creating this content, so please don’t copy or reuse it without permission. You’re always welcome to share excerpts or links if you give clear credit back to Stephanie Walsh and Walsh Approach.