Propensity to get dehydrated

EmBlazes

Hello

My husband commented the other day that I seem to be quite sensitive to dehydration even though I generally drink even more water than him. I tend to get headaches and generally feel unwell if I don't have at least 2 pints of water a day by the afternoon.

My husband only drinks coffee and tea and very rarely just drinks additional water. He never seems to get dehydrated or get headaches or anything similar when he hasn't had much to drink.

Does anyone know if there are particular physiological reasons why some people are more likely to get dehydrated than others??

Thanks

Emilie

helena9

Hi,

I'm so glad you have said this, I always have two coffees and 2 litres of water easily by mid-afternoon when people in my office have literally had two cups of coffee....that's all!

I would die without my water supply at work because like you it really affects me.

Can anyway shine any light on this?

GypsyRose25

Before I started MFP, I only drank Diet Coke. Literally. That was the only beverage I consumed. I didn't get dehydrated or dehydration related headaches. When I started drinking water I felt constantly dehydrated. Even after 3 weeks I feel dehydrated if I don't have at least 2 liters of water a day.

Cilenia

bump

fionat29

I can't shine a light but my husband can go all day with nothing to drink and if I don't have a couple of coffees in the morning and a couple more in the afternoon I get really headachey. I don't know how that works.

BerryH

The eight cups of water has generally been disproven as an arbitrary amount that has no additional positive impact on your health that just staying sufficiently dehydrated.

If you regularly drink large amounts of water, your body will more readily dispense with the excess, making you feel like you need more, more regularly.

Stick with the pee test to ensure you're sufficiently hydrated - your pee should be the colour of pale straw.

And it doesn't matter where that water comes from, whether it's tea, coffee, soup or fruit juice, your body doesn't distinguish. Unless it's alcohol which has a diuretic affect and does dehydrate you.

Kichelchen

I guess it's how you train your body... If you give it nothing, it doesn't know what it's missing. But if you give it water and THEN you take it away, you can feel it. Once you start drinking more, your body realizes what it has been missing and wants it more and more until you've had enough and you found the amount you need.
Just my theory

EmBlazes

The eight cups of water has generally been disproven as an arbitrary amount that has no additioanl porsitive impact on your health that just staying sufficiemtly dehydrated.

If you regularly drink large amount sof water, your body will more readily dispense with the excess, making you feel like you need more, more regularly.

Stick with the pee test to ensure you're sufficiently hydrated - your pee should be the colour of pale straw.

And it doesn't matter where that water comes from, whether it's tea, coffee, soup or fruit juice, your body doesn't distinguish. Unless it's alcohol which has a diuretic affect and does dehydrate you.

Thanks for this - it's pretty much what I'd suspected. I knew that you just needed to get a certain amount of water each day and that most people already get this in their regular food intake (which a lot of people don't consider).

I guess it's just hard to go back to drinking less water, especially as I really need extra water when I'm working out and exercising (especially when I'm doing Bikram Yoga which I do once a week and you sweat A LOT).

I also suspect that if you eat more salty and sugary foods that you are more sensitive to dehydration. Perhaps also if you have more fat stores - since fat can store water (I think) you are also more likely to have swings between dehydration and peeing all day!!

EmBlazes

I guess it's how you train your body... If you give it nothing, it doesn't know what it's missing. But if you give it water and THEN you take it away, you can feel it. Once you start drinking more, your body realizes what it has been missing and wants it more and more until you've had enough and you found the amount you need.
Just my theory

Also a good point. My husband has never drunk much water so I guess he doesn't miss it. He also doesn't wee anywhere as many times a day as I do!!

persian_star

I've never been able to get up to 8 cups a day - I just feel too full of the stuff! I normally manage 3 or 4 if I'm working at it, at least one of which is during and after my workout session. I was quite relieved when I read an article (just the other week) saying that the 8 cups a day need had been disproven! I normally go by a rule of thumb, if you're thirsty, drink. Your body will let you know what it needs (though I find sometimes I need to remember to give it what it's asking for ;o)

I also get headaches mid afternoon, but only if I don't pay attention and forget to drink any water AT ALL. I normally have a cup of coffee in the morning which kickstarts the day (getting headaches if you normally have one then miss it btw is normally to do with caffeine withdrawal). Sadly, as tea and coffee contain caffeine, they are also diuretics, but the amount of water in them apparently still hydrates you more then the counteracting effects of the caffeine, it'll just make you want to pee that bit sooner.

I think encouraging people to drink water (the whole 8 cup thing) is good, but mostly because we all need hydration (to avoid headaches and other dehydration issues) and water is simply better that most other drinks because it doesn't have any sugar/additives etc. I am definitely drinking more water than I used to, but I reckon the only thing it's really affected is my calorie intake. I know some people swear by water consumption to decrease bloating and flushing out toxins, but for me it simply just does nothing except stop me drinking sugary drinks, or getting dehydrated )