How to Chug Water Safely: Tips and Tricks

• Pour water into your throat instead of sucking it from a bottle.
• Take large, steady gulps of water as it hits your throat.
• Practice your chug by filling your mouth with water, tilting back your head, and swallowing. This strengthens your throat muscles.

How to Chug Water Fast

Make sure the water is at a comfortable drinking temperature. Water that is too cold can cause your throat to contract and stomach to spasm, making it harder to chug as quickly as you would like. Hot water can burn the lining of your throat, making it painful to go on—and even cause lasting damage.

Chug from a wide-mouthed container. If you want to chug more quickly, drink from a container that has a wide mouth: a glass, a pitcher, a mason jar. Most water bottles feature a very narrow bottleneck, which slows the water as it pours from the container. Technically speaking, you can chug the most water from a bottleneck that most perfectly matches the size of your mouth. Bear in mind that your throat may not be able to keep up with this volume of water, though. If you do use a plastic water bottle, you can try scrunching the end of the bottle as you chug. This will force the water out of the bottle more quickly than it would flow otherwise.

Don't chug too quickly. If you flood your system with water, you may not be able to keep up with yourself. This could lead to choking, bloating, and water intoxication. If the water source doesn't limit the speed at which the water can pour into your throat, you will need to manually regulate the flow. Don't tip the container on its end—keep the water coming out at a manageable rate.

Tilt your head back and pour the water into your throat. Try to make your throat passage nearly vertical. Tip your head enough that the water runs to the opening of your throat from the force of gravity alone. Swallow the second the water touches the back of your throat, and take big, steady gulps. Don't tip your head back forward until you're done chugging the water. If you shift your throat passage while the water is still in there it can cause you to choke. Be careful! It’s easy to accidentally pour the water into your windpipe, which can cause choking spasms.

Breathe out entirely. If your lungs are filled with air when you start chugging, your body won’t want to take more volume in. Make room for the water by taking a deep breath and then exhaling all the way.

Leave room for airflow. If you are drinking from a bottle, leave a small gap between your upper lip and the top of the mouth of the bottle. This will allow air to flow past the mouth of the bottle. If you have an air source other than the inside of the bottle, then you won't need to pull the water source away from your mouth to take a breath.

Exercise your throat muscles. Like all skills, chugging is something that takes practice. To strengthen your “chug muscles,” take large mouthfuls of water, tilt your head back until you feel pressure in your jaw, and swallow. It may hurt a little bit as you’re getting used to it, but this will help your body to swallow large amounts of water quickly.

How to Chug in Moderation

Understand the risk of hyponatremia, or "water intoxication." If you chug too much water too quickly, you can give yourself an electrolyte imbalance: your kidneys can’t flush the amount of water you've consumed, and your blood becomes waterlogged. This extra water can swell your brain cells, causing your brain to expand dangerously. Rapid and severe cellular swelling can cause seizures, respiratory arrest, coma, brain stem herniation, and even death. It's estimated that consuming more than 1.5 liters/hour over several hours can greatly increase your risk of hyponatremia.

Avoid chugging water when you are doing endurance activities. The risk of hyponatremia is especially high if you have been exerting yourself over a long period of time. You lose electrolytes, like sodium, when you sweat, so drinking too much pure water to re-hydrate during endurance activities can dangerously dilute the sodium content of your blood.

Don't drink so much that you choke or vomit. If you consume too much liquid at once, you can choke on it as water spills into your airways. If you flood your stomach with more water than it can handle, you may involuntarily vomit up the excess water. Make sure that there is no ice in the water. It’s possible to choke to death on a chunk of ice.

Consider sipping water instead. If you’re trying to chug for health and hydration benefits, keep in mind that chugging is no more efficient than sipping water. What's more, chugging can potentially counteract the positive effects of drinking water. If you're chugging water for a competition: remember the risks, and think before you chug. Ask yourself whether winning this chugging contest is worth any potential damage to your body.