Ask Tufts Experts

Can drinking ice water during exercise “shock” the system too much? Is it better to go with slightly cool water?

There’s no harm in drinking ice-cold water when you exercise. In fact, cold fluids empty from the stomach faster than warm ones, so they’re faster at replacing water lost through sweating. That “can have an immediate effect of cooling off the body’s core” during exercise, says William Evans, PhD, director of the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise Laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

What is the cut-off point between normal blood sugar and diabetes?

There are actually two cut-off points: one for diabetes and one for pre-diabetes, an “in-between” state in which a person is at increased risk for developing the disease. Either of two tests can be used for a diagnosis. With the fasting blood glucose test, which measures blood sugar before breakfast, normal is below 110 (milligrams per deciliter of blood); pre-diabetes is 110 to 125; and diabetes is 126 or above. With the oral glucose tolerance test, which measures blood sugar after consumption of a sugary solution, normal is below 140; pre-diabetes is 140 to 199; and diabetes is 200 or above. People 45 or older should be tested for diabetes every 3 years. Younger people who are overweight and have high blood pressure, a history of gestational diabetes or a family history of diabetes should also consider testing. People with pre-diabetes should be tested every 1 to 2 years.