How much water should you drink

How much water should I drink
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Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited February 2017
    You should drink enough until you're hydrated (ie - when your pee very light yellow in color).
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
    1. take the square root of your body weight in kilograms,
    2. then divide it by the current relative humidity.
    3. Add that number to the current temperature in celsius/10.
    4. Take your maintenance calories and divide them by the above number.
    5. subtract 1/2 of your age in years.
    6. times the number by .7 if you're a man, and .8 if you're a woman.
    7. That's how many ounces of water you need each day.

    or just drink when you're thirsty w/e
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Lizarking wrote: »
    1. take the square root of your body weight in kilograms,
    2. then divide it by the current relative humidity.
    3. Add that number to the current temperature in celsius/10.
    4. Take your maintenance calories and divide them by the above number.
    5. subtract 1/2 of your age in years.
    6. times the number by .7 if you're a man, and .8 if you're a woman.
    7. That's how many ounces of water you need each day.

    or just drink when you're thirsty w/e

    Just for fun I did the math. My brain hurts. And I may drown.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Enough to stay hydrated.

    Think about it logically...I live in the desert at around 1 mile above sea level and exercise quite a bit...I will need more fluids to stay hydrated than someone who lives in a temperate climate at sea level who is sedentary...there is no universal answer...everything you see out there is just generalized guidelines.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    Drink until you aren't thirsty. When you get thirsty drink some more.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    In my run group, they told us aim for 60 ounces a day. My trainer says aim for a gallon. I've also heard drink half your body weight in ounces.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    This.

    /thread
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,541 Member
    I agree with all the above... but if you're looking for a number... then aim for 2L (64oz). Men should aim for 3L (on average).

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,541 Member
    but I wouldn't go by the "drink until you're not thirsty". I was never thirsty and I was perpetually dehydrated. Often dehydration masquerades itself as hunger. If you're hungry, try drinking some water first.

    It isn't until I have some water that I then become thirsty for more.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    I've always gone by the color of my pee. Figured that was best. Then last year, I had blood work done and my doctor said it indicated I was dehydrated. I was confused because my urine was the same color it had always been, the light shades indicating hydration. A 2 on the scale. And yet I was dehydrated. :/ If I can't trust my pee, who can I trust?

    I find what works best for me is the often recommended half of body weight, drank in ounces. Then on top of that, I need to add in about 10 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of sweat time. That amount gave me blood work that my dr interpreted as properly hydrated, and I did indeed feel better with that amount. (I have low blood pressure and dehydration exacerbates it.)
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    If you take certain types of medications or other drugs that inhibit the production of anti diuretic hormone or affect the way in which the kidneys concentrate urine the colour of your urine may not be an accurate guide to hydration.

    In this case, use other cues such as thirst and skin tugur.

    ......................

    Be aware also that over hydration can cause cardiac overload and decompensation in patients with cardiac conditions.

    Drinking WAY too much can also upset the ratio of sodium in the blood causing acute hyponatremia which can result in fluid to shift within the body compartments, including brain, leading to seizure and cerebral oedema, coma death.

    Just cause a trainer says 'drink a gallon!' doesn't make it appropriate for everyone.

    ........................

    For a healthy person, not on any medication the pee chart is good basic guide.

    Look at volume too though. 'Normal' adult urine output should be about 800-2000 ml per 24hrs (with average h2o intake of 2lt/day).

    https://www.mdcalc.com/urine-output-fluid-balance

  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I drink 120oz a day by my own desire, and I double check that amount by my urine. When it's totally clear I back off for a couple hours. But generally I drink all 120oz before dinner so I'm not up at night to use the restroom. It's about what feels good for your body, beyond the 64oz per day recommendation it's up to you.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited February 2017
    lizery wrote: »
    ........................

    For a healthy person, not on any medication the pee chart is good basic guide.

    Hmm, it wasn't accurate for me and I wasn't on any medications. It's very possible I don't qualify as a healthy person though. :D

  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    lizery wrote: »
    ........................

    For a healthy person, not on any medication the pee chart is good basic guide.

    Hmm, it wasn't accurate for me and I wasn't on any medications. It's very possible I don't qualify as a healthy person though. :D

    Perhaps. Urinary tract infection, electrolyte disturbance, kidney function etc can all skew the effectiveness of urine colour as a measure. As I said though, for the average unmedicated well person it can be a good guide.

    For myself, I'm on a drug that cause me to pass large volumes of dilute urine so I could be dry (dehydrated) and still peeing plenty of clear urine.

    I have a set range I need to drink (3-5lt/day) depending on factors like heat and activity in order say hydrated and not have my drug levels rise to dangerous levels.

    The 'right' amount to drink can be highly variable for individuals.

    But yeah, 'medically' speaking an average sized healthy person should be expected to have about 2lt intake per day to keep a good fluid balance.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    lizery wrote: »
    ........................

    For a healthy person, not on any medication the pee chart is good basic guide.

    Hmm, it wasn't accurate for me and I wasn't on any medications. It's very possible I don't qualify as a healthy person though. :D

    Were you taking vitamins or any other supplements?
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    @lizery - Ah, I think most likely I had a UTI. It's satisfying having this explained.
    @CafeRacer808 - At the time I wasn't. Now I take an iron pill. My blood test also had elevated white blood cells, so the UTI explanation makes a lot of sense.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
    lizery wrote: »
    ........................

    For a healthy person, not on any medication the pee chart is good basic guide.

    Hmm, it wasn't accurate for me and I wasn't on any medications. It's very possible I don't qualify as a healthy person though. :D

    Were you taking vitamins or any other supplements?

    Great point. These have a massive impact of the colour of urine.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    @lizery, fair points. I should say I don't think my trainer is blindly telling people to drink a gallon of water a day. We work out intensely, lift heavy, focus is on building muscle. It's not uncommon in the body building world to drink a gallon a day.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
    Lizarking wrote: »
    1. take the square root of your body weight in kilograms,
    2. then divide it by the current relative humidity.
    3. Add that number to the current temperature in celsius/10.
    4. Take your maintenance calories and divide them by the above number.
    5. subtract 1/2 of your age in years.
    6. times the number by .7 if you're a man, and .8 if you're a woman.
    7. That's how many ounces of water you need each day.

    or just drink when you're thirsty w/e

    Hehe, that was fun!
    But I might have got the maths wrong as my result was 14 litres a day ;)

    I think I'll just stick to drinking when thirsty with extra on long hot run days (even if I'm not thirsty) as I tend to get a bit headachy after a long run which I'm guessing might be due to dehydration.