Re: Why does a cold drink quench thirst better than a hot drink?

Aloha, Hank,

     The answer to your question is probably related to how the 
nerves in the stomach sense temperature.  The hot/warm drink stays in the 
stomach longer...the cooler drink is usually emptied out sooner, since the 
stomach wants to get it on its way.  Thus, your lower digestive tract, 
mainly the small/large intestines, has a quicker shot at the water.  That 
is, the water gets farther along the digestive tract, faster...to a place 
where it can be absorbed into the body...and you sense this as your thirst 
being quenched, as the water reaches the cells.
     As an additional piece of information, your sense of thirst works only 
at very low levels of body water lost...up until about 2-3% body water 
lost.  After that, your thirst mechanism lags behind.  That's why it's so 
important in hot/humid weather (like we have here in Hawai`i) to keep 
drinking, even when you are not feeling thirsty.  Or, why we recommend that 
athletes take care with hydration/rehydration during before, during and 
after events...and why we recommend drinking cool water for rehydration.

Dian