Plus, find out if it may enhance your workout performance.
(Photo: Ayana Underwood/Canva)
Published February 4, 2026 11:16AM
Can drinking a cup of steaming hot water improve your digestion and keep things moving along in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract? And is it really better than cold—or even room-temp—water? Influencers on TikTok are buzzing about the “Chinese hot water trend”—which is actually a practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine that involves drinking steamy water to promote overall wellness. But just how true are these health claims?
We dug into the research and interviewed a sports dietitian to get to the bottom of it. Here’s what they said.
Is Hot Water Really Better for Your Health and Well-Being?
In Chinese herbal medicine, hot or warm water is preferred over cooler temperatures because it helps to support spleen function and reduces bloating in the stomach and puffiness in the face.
It’s important to note that water—regardless of its temperature—is hydrating, says Nyree Dardarian, a sports nutritionist and the director of human nutrition at Drexel University. In general, men should aim to drink 15.5 cups of fluids daily, and women should shoot for 11.5 cups, according to the Mayo Clinic. You will get just as hydrated with a hot cup as you will with a cold cup, says Dardarian.
Now, there are some myths circulating around the benefits of hot water. Namely, that it can melt fat. “That is not true,” says Dardarian. It also won’t detox your body.
The research on hot water is limited. According to Dardarian, some evidence suggests hot water, especially when consumed on an empty stomach, can help stimulate gastric motility, which refers to how well food moves through and exits your GI tract. That’s why some people say it helps them have more regular bowel movements, Dardarian says. Warm liquids can also relax your stomach muscles, she adds, which may help relieve bloating, distention, and constipation.
Having warm water shortly before a meal can slow gastric emptying, or the process in which food is digested and moves from your stomach to your small intestine, she adds. Warm water increases gastric volume (the amount of contents in the stomach) and activates stretch receptors in your stomach, which send signals of fullness, Dardarian adds. This, in turn, slows the rate at which food moves from your stomach into your small intestine.
“This means food will take longer to digest, and that can be helpful with things like maintaining blood glucose,” she says. Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.
Could Hot Water Boost Your Exercise Performance?
Sadly, the odds of hot water turning you into a pro athlete are slim. Why? Cold water lowers your core body temperature, according to Dardarian. “Lowering core body temperature helps to maintain a higher level of performance and for a longer duration,” she says. So hot water, while still hydrating, likely isn’t going to help you set a new PR.
“Hot water during workouts usually isn’t ideal,” says Dardarian. This is especially true in warmer environments, says Dardarian, because chilled or room-temperature water helps regulate body temperature.
When it comes to your workouts, being parched can impact your strength and power, motor control, and concentration. Drinking cool water can encourage you to stay adequately hydrated. Think about the last time you pushed yourself to the limit at the gym. Did you want to chug hot tea after a rep? Probably not. According to Dardarian, most people are able to drink a larger volume of water when it’s at room temperature or chilled compared to a hot cup.
There is one one caveat. If drinking warm water—with, say, lemon, orange, or a piece of your favorite fruit—increases the amount of fluids you consume during your physical activity, then, hey, stay with it. “There are many studies that show a majority of people live in mild to moderate chronic dehydration that leads to fatigue, headache, and sluggishness,” says Dardarian.
This is to say: If hot water is the key to quenching your thirst, “then do it,” says Dardarian.
Other than that, hot water can be a relaxing treat at other points in the day. After all, it can be soothing, says Dardarian. “It can be part of a calming ritual in the morning or before bedtime,” she says.
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