So a couple of weeks ago I was getting ready for a ride. Problem was there was no ice and I didn't refrigerate any water beforehand. So I didn't have too many option if I wanted a cold beverage for the beginning of my ride. I went to my fridge and saw a bottle of pellegrino (bubbly water). I'm like what the hell, why not?...So I pured it into my water bottle, and went off my on my merry way. Well after drinking it, I noticed I had more energy than usual. Maybe it has something to do with the added oxygen in the water? I may sound crazy, but I've been doing this since and notice I get at least 10-20% more energy.

Um? Aren't the bubbles CO2?
I have no idea why this would cause you to have more energy.

It sounds like a psychological rather than physiological factor to me. "Sparkling water" is considered by many to be more refreshing than plain old water. If you feel more refreshed, you probably perform a bit better.

The only other thing I can think of is that the additional CO2 in your system got you breathing more deeply and or effectively, since CO2 content in the lungs is what triggers the autonomic breathing reflex.

I figure, what the heck, whether it's psychological or physiological, if it works, do it!

i dont like the taste of sparkling water.......... But this one guy at the club i play at(different sport) drinks it like its gatorade, hes very good also.

Well, San Pel is mineral water.
I wonder if the minerals in the water are having an effect.

I may sound crazy, but I've been doing this since and notice I get at least 10-20% more energy.Yeah, too bad you won't be able to ride well - without your "special" water.

But hey, when you need more "special water" - just send me $100 by paypal and I'll be happy to ship you some more.

"added oxygen" :D that made my day.

I going to go for a wild guess here...
Adding CO2 is going to make you blood more acidic.
Your body produces energy through the use of enzymes that have an optimal PH and temperature.
Most people too acidic already so in their case CO@ degrades performance.
In your case is a quirk, so the first guess of increased Respiratory Rate is a very good one.

Another possibly crazy explanation is that you are more in the basic side of the equation and adding a bit of acid actually puts you closer to optimal PH. Are you a vegetarian? Are you eating large amounts of minerals (fruits, veggies, supplements)?

I going to go for a wild guess here...
Adding CO2 is going to make you blood more acidic.
Your body produces energy through the use of enzymes that have an optimal PH and temperature.
Most people too acidic already so in their case CO@ degrades performance.
In your case is a quirk, so the first guess of increased Respiratory Rate is a very good one.

Another possibly crazy explanation is that you are more in the basic side of the equation and adding a bit of acid actually puts you closer to optimal PH. Are you a vegetarian? Are you eating large amounts of minerals (fruits, veggies, supplements)?

Not to go off topic but I drink seltzer/club soda like crazy. Does the carbonation have a negative effect on performance?

There isn't added usable oxygen in fizzy water. The bubbles are carbon dioxide. Water molecules have one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, and any extra oxygen that's dissolved in the liquid (which can be done just by frothing it up -- that's how an oxygenator in a fishtank works) isn't absorbable into your body through your stomach. That's why we have lungs.

Beware of the latest sports drink scam, which is to sell water with 'extra oxygen'.

Yeah, too bad you won't be able to ride well - without your "special" water.

But hey, when you need more "special water" - just send me $100 by paypal and I'll be happy to ship you some more.

Its replies like this that make me steam. The guy is asking an honest question because he doesn't know himself what to make of it, and he is unfortunately answered by an *******. Thats right, I said it, *******! Grow up moron! You would think being a so called "senior member" would count for something. Find a new forum if the rest of us little mortals are to simple for your obviously superior intellect. Gees!

Maybe you just had a good day and the water was a coincidence. See if continued use keeps providing the good results.

Makes me wish they still made the bubbly form of powerade in the mid 90's....that was my fav in fruit punch!!!

I know the carbonation in champagne will get you drunk faster then drinking wine. It has something to do with the carbonation getting the alcohol into your blood system faster. I don’t know the science behind it. Maybe the fizzy water is able to enter his system faster, for the same reason. And being better hydrated, he performs better.

Its replies like this that make me steam. The guy is asking an honest question because he doesn't know himself what to make of it, and he is unfortunately answered by an *******. Thats right, I said it, *******! Grow up moron! You would think being a so called "senior member" would count for something. Find a new forum if the rest of us little mortals are to simple for your obviously superior intellect. Gees!

With ya 100%.

Oh. Back to the issue. I think, maybe, you were just having a good ride. Sometimes when we change things up a bit we're energized. I doubt whether carbonated water's really physically effecting you to increase your performance. Maybe it's true that the carbonation is causing you to breathe more deeply. Experiment. Tell us what you find over time.

Its replies like this that make me steam. The guy is asking an honest question because he doesn't know himself what to make of it, and he is unfortunately answered by an *******. Thats right, I said it, *******! Grow up moron! You would think being a so called "senior member" would count for something. Find a new forum if the rest of us little mortals are to simple for your obviously superior intellect. Gees!

I hope you didn't just call him a "richard" "cranium" behind those asterisks....

I have a tough time believing that the small amount of dissolved CO2 comes anywhere close to countering the many liters of CO2 that you exhale during a ride. I've no explanation, unless as someone else suggested, mineral water is actually a better electrolyte drink vs tap water. I would have thought you'd be able to get a list of the mineral content from the pellegrino label.

Another experiment to try, pour out your sparkling water the night before and let it go flat. Chill it then try riding without the bubbles?

"added oxygen" :D that made my day.

Hahaha, forget "breathing" oxygen, I get it in beverage form:roflmao2:

But I have noticed that stuff does taste more refreshing, I'd just wonder how the carbonation would sit with me while riding.

One time I stopped halfway on a 70 mile ride and went into this fast food place and asked the lady if I could fill up my water bottle at their self serve soft drink dispenser. I filled up with some ice and pressed the wrong lever and got carbonated water.

I realized what I had done afterwards a few miles later. No big deal.

Okay, let me see if I can help with a few of these things. The bubbles in champagne leading to getting drunk faster is mainly due to surface area. It's the same reason that you don't want to drink beer through a straw. The bubbles increase the surface area, and by doing so, increase the amount of liquid (beer, sparkling water, etc) that is absorbed through the walls of your mouth and upper digestive track. This takes the liquid directly into the blood stream. In the case of alcoholic drinks, this leads to getting drunk faster. The sparkling water, having some minerals dissolved into it, is closer to normal body specific gravity and pH, so when the carbonation increases the surface area, there is the possibility of more fluids entering the blood stream.

As for dissolved gasses, CO2 dissolved in water is basic (think bicarbonate of soda or alkaseltzer, a.k.a. antiacids). It becomes acidic when converted to carbonic acid by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which is present in red blood cells, the digestive track, and free in the blood stream. The body's pH fluctuates about a mean of approximately 6.4 (a little acidic). The blood stream becomes much more acidic in exercising muscle due to the formation of lactic acid (a natural part of muscular activity). This drop in pH also favors the unloading of oxygen into the exercising tissues. On the other hand, the pH in the lungs is more basic, which, conveniently enough, favors the loading of oxygen on to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Your respiratory system will change your breathing rate dependent on pH condition to make quick adjustments; too basic, breathing rate slows down, too acidic, it speeds up.

If there is extra oxygen dissolved in a liquid, the chemical term for it is peroxide (hydrogen peroxide, the stuff you use on a cut). This is something that you definitely do not want to drink. The stuff you use on a cut or scrape is about 10% H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide's chemical notation), and it cleans a cut by killing off all living tissue it comes in contact with, including yours. Peroxides basically destroy infectious agents by "rusting" them, just like your car or any other metal object. Free oxygen atoms in the body are referred to as "reactive oxygen species", or ROS, and they are one of the things that cause the destruction of cells in the body, leading to a whole host of other problems. Any drink manufacture that states that their drink delivers "extra oxygen" is just trying to part you with your hard earned money. Yet another reason that the common thought in sports nutrition is "Athletes have the world's most expensive urine".

D

As for dissolved gasses, CO2 dissolved in water is basic (think bicarbonate of soda or alkaseltzer, a.k.a. antiacids). It becomes acidic when converted to carbonic acid by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which is present in red blood cells, the digestive track, and free in the blood stream. The body's pH fluctuates about a mean of approximately 6.4 (a little acidic). The blood stream becomes much more acidic in exercising muscle due to the formation of lactic acid (a natural part of muscular activity). This drop in pH also favors the unloading of oxygen into the exercising tissues. On the other hand, the pH in the lungs is more basic, which, conveniently enough, favors the loading of oxygen on to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Your respiratory system will change your breathing rate dependent on pH condition to make quick adjustments; too basic, breathing rate slows down, too acidic, it speeds up.

If there is extra oxygen dissolved in a liquid, the chemical term for it is peroxide (hydrogen peroxide, the stuff you use on a cut). This is something that you definitely do not want to drink. The stuff you use on a cut or scrape is about 10% H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide's chemical notation), and it cleans a cut by killing off all living tissue it comes in contact with, including yours. Peroxides basically destroy infectious agents by "rusting" them, just like your car or any other metal object. Free oxygen atoms in the body are referred to as "reactive oxygen species", or ROS, and they are one of the things that cause the destruction of cells in the body, leading to a whole host of other problems. Any drink manufacture that states that their drink delivers "extra oxygen" is just trying to part you with your hard earned money. Yet another reason that the common thought in sports nutrition is "Athletes have the world's most expensive urine".
D

Sorry -- gotta call foul on two counts.

When CO2 dissolves in water it forms dilute carbonic acid directly, carbonic anhydrase is much more efficient at performing that reaction, but it will happen anyway. Sodium bicarbonate is what you get when you add a sodium containing base like sodium hydroxide to carbonic acid.

Oxygen dissolved in water mostly just gives you a solution of dissolved oxygen. It takes more energy to form hydrogen peroxide - your lungs would not survive very long if this was a favourable reaction.

Check my avatar - I've a reputation to protect.

Water must be full of chemicals. A local park has a fountain, with a warning sign: water contains hydrogen, keep out!

On a more serious note, I find that when I am tired, and drink water, I almost always feel more alert. Probably the fluids increase the blood volume and oxygen getting to the brain and muscles. Agreed, the oxygen enters the body through the lungs, that's what we were all taught in high school biology. OP thanks for your observation, I may try it sometime.

Beaker: Touche. That is the way I always explained it to my students so it made sense to them in terms of acid base balance, the respiratory system, and the urinary system (all involved in acid-base balance). You are correct.

D

Ok Beaker, there's a new multi level marketing scheme that sells a water machine. Some sell for 4 grand, some cheaper. The 4 grand is the multi level marketing one.

The water machine takes tap water from your faucet and makes it alkaline. Its supposed to be better for you. There's even some sort of scientific evidence thru research papers that say alkaline water is better for you, healthwise. I think its called Kangen Water System. Ever hear of this?

Garfield - can't say I've come across it before your post, but it sounds like a heap o' phooey to me. Not that I'm a medical professional, but even if you are drinking alkaline water, the first thing it does is reach the hydrochloric acid in your stomach. I also don't like the sound of drinking water that has had it's pH adjusted as high as 11; if I'm after antioxidants, I'd rather get them through fruit and vegetables etc.