Dubstepforum.com

Two of my best mates actually believe that if you shake water (in a bottle), the taste is different.
I'm not talking about sparkling water here, I'm talking about regular mineral water like Evian.

And they're not trolling. They've been saying it on multiple occasions to multiple people.

Do you taste anything different to your water after you've shaken it? Do my friends have brain damage?

It's really grinding my gears. How the fuck could there be a difference.

I suppose there would be an increase of oxygen in the water....

Apparently theres a carcinogenic layer in disposable water bottles that eventually sheds, but is "only a problem if you after the bottle is opened and re-used". If this layer is actually there, then I'd say shaking it would cause the shedding to happen sooner, and mix into the rest of the water.
I think all bottled water tastes disgusting though. I don't ever drink it unless I have to.

ashley wrote:I suppose there would be an increase of oxygen in the water....

I thought of that too, but seeing oxygen/air has no taste.. Plus I don't think it's a spectacular increase either.

kidshuffle wrote:Apparently theres a carcinogenic layer in disposable water bottles that eventually sheds, but is "only a problem if you after the bottle is opened and re-used". If this layer is actually there, then I'd say shaking it would cause the shedding to happen sooner, and mix into the rest of the water.
I think all bottled water tastes disgusting though. I don't ever drink it unless I have to.

Again, one of the first things that popped into my head.
But for all I know, the plastic layer actually breaks off quite slowly. I don't know if you've ever chewed on plastic as a kid, bored adult or adult on drugs, but it doesn't have much taste.
I figure you would need a lot of plastic particles to cause a noticeable difference in taste. Probably so much you would actually see a bit of erosion inside of the plastic bottle.
And I've never seen that. And as far as I can remember I've never drunk water that had a real plastic taste.
Besides, they even think it tastes different in glass bottles.

Must be purely psychological if you ask me, that's why I wonder if others taste a difference.

I reckon it is a psychological difference, but I also reckon it can taste 'off' if you shake it up.

shaking water lacks sufficient pressure to oxygeneate water. Also the amount of oxygen you can introduce into water is minute. in the milligrams. Even then it escapes the second you remove your bottle top.

the taste difference is instead based off the escaping oxygen from said water. if you open a bottle oxygen begins to escape. If you shake said bottle and then open top a higher amount of oxygen begins to escape.

Odds are the taste difference (assuming any) would be about the same as letting your bottle of water sit on the counter with its top off for 15 mins.


Had this topic in A&P in college and how drinking oxygen 'infused' water is horse shit and has next to no benefit.

It's like people who tap on the top of cans because they think it stops them fizzing up when they open them. It does nothing.

oli90 wrote:It's like people who tap on the top of cans because they think it stops them fizzing up when they open them. It does nothing.

It does! But you don't need to tap the top but the side.

If you don't believe me, take a can, shake it violently, tape a few times around the side (not soft but hard), open it.

pkay wrote:the taste difference is instead based off the escaping oxygen from said water. if you open a bottle oxygen begins to escape. If you shake said bottle and then open top a higher amount of oxygen begins to escape.

Why would more oxygen escape after it being shaken?
One could argue that whenever you open up a bottle, the balance between the oxygen inside the water, the bottle and the outside air would be the same.

I also don't really taste a difference between water coming out of a bottle that has been opened for +15 minutes.

NilsFG wrote:

pkay wrote:the taste difference is instead based off the escaping oxygen from said water. if you open a bottle oxygen begins to escape. If you shake said bottle and then open top a higher amount of oxygen begins to escape.

Why would more oxygen escape after it being shaken?
One could argue that whenever you open up a bottle, the balance between the oxygen inside the water, the bottle and the outside air would be the same.

I also don't really taste a difference between water coming out of a bottle that has been opened for +15 minutes.

thats why i said "if any"

To the main question: Oxygen diffusion. When a bottle of water (high concentration of water/oxygen) is shaken a small amount of heat is created and thereby natural reaction to expel oxygen is is created. When you open the water bottle the bottled waters high concentration of oxygen to water meets the air and oxygen is expelled into the air. On the flip is the water had a lower oxygen/water ratio and came in contact with a high concentration of oxygen, it would then take on oxygen.

Water wants to meet a calm between the two surfaces in relation to oxygen density. The second water is exposed to air it is trying to meet that balance. Heated water (molecules vibrating) are slightly more motivated to meet that balance.

I don't know what, it kinda tastes more.. watery?
Drinking it straight out the kitchen tap is more fun than anything

Ever put your ear to water being shook?.. I wouldnt recommend it.
Specially in public