In 2020, Scott Luu embarked on an experiment to determine if increasing his water consumption over a month could impact his productivity and performance.
His plan involved tripling his usual water intake for 30 days and documenting the experience in a YouTube video.
Given that his liquid consumption was minimal prior to this, it was unsurprising that Luu’s initial significant observation from drinking three liters daily was an increased frequency in visiting the bathroom.
He reported experiencing a ‘huge, huge, huge increase in peeing’ during the trial, with visits to the bathroom rising from six to between 12 and 13 times a day.
Nevertheless, Luu noted a more beneficial effect of consuming so much water early on in the challenge; he no longer experienced ‘foggy’ feelings the morning after late-night editing sessions.
“Now that I started this water challenge, I chug half a liter of water in the morning and it’s like drinking clarity,” he shared.
“I can feel an immediate difference in energy, and it’s a bit freaky.
However, Luu expressed skepticism, stating he was: “99 percent sure that’s just my mind reacting to the stimulus of drinking a lot of water because my body can’t really access that energy.”
Additionally, Luu found he no longer needed to take naps as part of his routine.
“Before the experiment, I took one daily 20-minute nap in the afternoon. During the experiment, it turned into six [days] out of the 30. Energy levels: a definite increase.”
Interestingly, as the challenge advanced, Luu realized he no longer felt an ‘immediate’ energy boost from drinking water.
This change was likely due to his body’s adjustment to the increased liquid intake.
Summarizing his findings, Luu emphasized that water is not a ‘magical pill’ that can resolve all issues.
He remarked: “If you don’t have your s**t together, the water would just give you more energy to keep on doing unproductive tasks.
“However, if you have intention and focus drinking more water will help boost clarity and energy, increase focus stamina, make you nap less, and cause you to pee a lot.”
Luu’s video has garnered 201,000 views since its April 2020 release on YouTube and has inspired numerous comments from viewers.
One viewer commented: “This is so motivational and inspirational. Thank you so much for this! I am really grateful.”
Another shared: “I remember I went a year replacing every drink with water (even at family gatherings, etc.) and I have to say that was my best year, my bloating went down a tiny bit and I didn’t feel groggy after a meal as when I used to drink soda almost non-stop,”
A third person added: “My blood sugars are under control after drinking 3+ litres of water every day for 2 weeks. It makes me wonder whether diabetes is a symptom from a lack of water weight.”