Water: how much is too much?!

ThisTimeIWillSuceed

Soo...

I hated water. Soo much!
But now I love it.
I've had over 2 liters.
How much is too much? When do you burst?

Thanks guys!
xoxo

RaeLB

the problem of drinking too much water isn't bursting, it's water intoxication from an imbalance of electrolytes

there is a 50-something year old man in the seniors home my mom works at because he got water intoxication and has damaged his body

HOWEVER, this is very rare

so long as you don't drink a very large quantity very quickly it's highly unlikely

MoreBean13

I drink 2-L generally before lunch. You will get violently sick if you drink too much and get hyponatremia, diarrhea will ensue. It's very unlikely you will have it happen unless you are running a marathon in the heat and replacing your fluids with pure water.

ThisTimeIWillSuceed

the problem of drinking too much water isn't bursting, it's water intoxication from an imbalance of electrolytes

there is a 50-something year old man in the seniors home my mom works at because he got water intoxication and has damaged his body

HOWEVER, this is very rare

so long as you don't drink a very large quantity very quickly it's highly unlikely

Oh good! Thanks!

CalWalker

never have more than 2 liters a day. it will dilute your blood down to mostly water and probably kill you.

mike4him

I found this online..it's accurate..
There is no real one-size-fits-all approach to water consumption. As a general rule of thumb, men should consume 128 ounces of water daily, and women should consume 88 ounces, but this doesn't mean you need to drink this amount of water every day. Other beverages, as well as the moisture content of foods, also count toward your water intake. The following factors affect how much water you should consume:

Exercise: If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for that fluid loss. Drink 12 ounces of water two hours before a workout, and another 12 ounces 30 minutes before you begin. While you are exercising, you should drink 4 to 8 ounces every 15 minutes. You should consume an additional 12 ounces within 30 minutes of the end of your workout. During intense exercise involving significant sweating — say, during a marathon — you may need a sports drink rather than plain water, to replace the sodium lost in sweat.

Environment: In hot or humid weather, you need to drink additional water to help lower your body temperature and to replace what you lose through sweating. You also need additional water in cold weather if you sweat while wearing insulated clothing. Heated indoor air can cause your skin to lose moisture, increasing your daily fluid requirement. Additionally, altitudes higher than 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) can affect how much water your body needs — higher altitudes may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.

jordanreddick

The recommended dosage so to speak is half your body weight in ounces of water per day. It varies from person to person depending on your activity level. Sedentary office job, judge by your urine, half your body weight may be too much, if your urine is clear, you should be good to stop pushing water so hard and only drink if you are actually thirsty. Some people push water so hard they will make their kidneys over function. If you are outside sweating, water intake will be a different story, go by what your body tells you. Drinking so much that you can't get anything done depsite going to the bathroom every 5 minutes isn't recommended.

myfitnessnmhoy

Soo...

I hated water. Soo much!
But now I love it.
I've had over 2 liters.
How much is too much? When do you burst?

Thanks guys!
xoxo

2 liters in what timeframe? All at once? That may be a little too fast, though your body can probably manage it just fine.

2 liters a day? That's probably not enough! But urine color tells all (pale yellow or lighter = good, bright yellow or darker = drink more).

And you never burst. You just start peeing a lot.

There's a reason why elite athletes use things like Gatorade - to make sure that electrolytes come in with the water and the water cannot wash them out and cause some of the aforementioned issues (water intoxication and hyponatremia, which are both caused by water diluting electrolytes to dangerously low levels).

When I bicycle more than 2 hours at a stretch, I try to bring along a little snack to make sure I'm getting some electrolytes in, but even that is a tad over-reactive. The fact is, us largely sedentary folk who eat balanced meals and are not actively engaged in a long-term activity like a multi-hour no-breaks no-food marathon are at almost zero risk of such things.

Drink up! And make sure you are eating a healthy diet.

mrsjennifermaffei

Rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
Example: If someone weighs 200lbs then they need to drink 100 ounces.

mrsjennifermaffei

never have more than 2 liters a day. it will dilute your blood down to mostly water and probably kill you.

That is definitely not going to happen by drinking 2 liters a day.

rhonniema

I usually drink between 10-16 glasses a day.
You don't pop, but you sure do have to pee a lot.

ThisTimeIWillSuceed

This is super helpful, thanks guys! Comforting to know I'm not going to die..

xoxo

sarahrbraun

never have more than 2 liters a day. it will dilute your blood down to mostly water and probably kill you.

total and complete BS!! I am ordered by my urologist to drink at least 3-4 liters a day. your urine OUTPUT is supposed to be at least 2 liters per day, and then you still need fluids for normal bodily functions such as respiration...

StarkLark

never have more than 2 liters a day. it will dilute your blood down to mostly water and probably kill you.

This is not true. I drink up to 4 liters some days, slowly and spread out over the entire time I'm awake. I am 94.2% sure I am still alive.

knk1553

I drink a TON of water, like 12-15 8oz glasses on days I don't work out and probably closer to 20 on days I do workout, with that being said though, thats between the hours of 6am and 10 or 11pm. I've never had a problem or been told to reduce my water intake by doctors or anthing like that. The only real time you have to worry about water intoxication is when you consume A LOT of water in one sitting, usually is a big concern in distance athletes and competitive eaters. I say as long as you aren't consuming all your water in like a 2 hour span you'll be fine. Also -- if you drink too much water you'll start to feel sick, so I say as long as you feel fine that you are fine to keep drinking 2 liters. I find for myself 8 glasses (which is what I should drink based on my weight) isn't enough for me to feel hydrated and to "pee clear". I wouldn't worry about it if you're 2 liters is consumed over the course of the entire day and not in a short period of time.

olivia_sweeetie13

There ain't no such thing as "too much water". :O

Hestion

I read on a site earlier that its rare to get intoxication, and it requires large amounts of water to be drunk at once, and it stated that the average adult can safely drink upto 15 litres a day before it hits levels of danger, and lets face it, who drinks that much!?

IronSmasher

I drink more than 5 litres daily

Captain_Tightpants

never have more than 2 liters a day. it will dilute your blood down to mostly water and probably kill you.

vade43113

Soo...

I hated water. Soo much!
But now I love it.
I've had over 2 liters.
How much is too much? When do you burst?

Thanks guys!
xoxo

The problem is drinking too much that your kidneys can't process it... a healthy set can process about 1/2-3/4ths a gallon of water in an hour.... stay under that and your safe

KelseyPalmtree

The other day I had 26 8oz cups of water. That's about 208 oz of water. I'm still just fine. Trust me, your body can handle a lot of water, as long as you have a bathroom nearby! lol

Captain_Tightpants

Is there such a thing as water poisoning - sure.
Are you likely to get it - nope, not unless you're drinking gallons of it while running a marathon in 100 degree weather.
So what is too much water? I suggest stopping when it starts filling up your lungs instead of your stomach.

sarahrbraun

Soo...

I hated water. Soo much!
But now I love it.
I've had over 2 liters.
How much is too much? When do you burst?

Thanks guys!
xoxo

you may feel like your eye balls are turning yellow, and your bladder may feel like it will burst...but you will be fine. I regularly drink 16-20oz per day and my urologist says that I am fine...if you are worried about possible electrolyte imbalances, use some gatorade, crystal light, or propel powder in every few liters ( I usually alternate plain water with diluted crystal light or propel) to replace your minerals...

jcstanton

I usually drink between 10-16 glasses a day.
You don't pop, but you sure do have to pee a lot.

^^This. I have a 24oz sport bottle that I refill 3-4 times/day (sometimes 5-6 if I'm sweating more than usual for some reason). Keep in mind, though, that you are also getting some fluid from your food, so it's not necessary to drink more than the daily recommended. I do it because my throat and mouth dry out frequently (why, I do not know). I also drink 1 or 2 glasses of skim milk per day, which also contains water.

sasssurf

Superb thread. Thankyou. I have befn wondering. I drink loads. Or so I thought.