Drinking water - where does it all go?

ahmommy

Okay so I get the basic biology that input = output, and the more you drink, the more you pee. This is part of the problem for a lot of us trying to up our water intake - it sucks to feel like your bladder is going to burst every half an hour.

I've read several posts on the boards that say you'll get used to it and stop having to go quite so often.

So my question is this - where does the water go, if you're not having to pee as much? It makes no logical sense to me.

xarge

In intracellular and extracellular fluid. 57-60% of an adult body is composed of water. That's 90lbs of water for a 150lbs person. The high intake of minerals such as sodium, blood plasma concentration affect the retaining of water. It's all about homeostasis and osmotic balance. Your body wants to balance any extra intake with more water. That's assuming no lymphatic problems. Excess water in tissue will decrease over time as the higher than optimum concentration of X molecule (let's say sodium), decrease. That's why you drink more water to flush the sodium out as it is forced out of the body via perspiration and excretion. Without water, they can't leave your system, high amounts of such wastes lead to strain on kidneys and of course veins. That's why it's good to keep your pee clear and not colored as apple juice (unless you're taking water soluble vitamins as they dye urine but it doesn't take all day so if you took a vitamin in the morning and if your urine is still colored by night then you're definitely not drinking enough).

ahmommy

Okay, so basically you're saying that it goes into your cells and helps flush sodium and impurities. I get that, but your body cannot simply retain water more and more. You have to pee it out or sweat it out (or in your terms perspiration and excretion). You say, "Excess water in tissue will decrease over time as the higher than optimum concentration of X molecule (let's say sodium), decrease." Where does the excess water go if over time you get used to drinking more water and start excreting less?

Or is it just that you get used to spending more time in the restroom? Or your bladder stretches?

xarge

Okay, so basically you're saying that it goes into your cells and helps flush sodium and impurities. I get that, but your body cannot simply retain water more and more. You have to pee it out or sweat it out (or in your terms perspiration and excretion). You say, "Excess water in tissue will decrease over time as the higher than optimum concentration of X molecule (let's say sodium), decrease." Where does the excess water go if over time you get used to drinking more water and start excreting less?

Or is it just that you get used to spending more time in the restroom? Or your bladder stretches?

It can retain an excess of 6-8lbs of water over a time period of a week or more. Usually muscles adapt to new exercise habits in starters far slowly than athletes and it can take as long as a month. For women, during menstrual cycle, hormonal changes affect water retention. As long as it doesn't turn into edema which hints to lymphatic and venal problems, it's the natural cycle of human body.

Hence the definition of "over time you get used to" matters here. You may be visiting the restroom less that day because you may sweating more. Bladder is capable of holding 15oz. (or maybe a bit more, I don't remember the numbers) of urine fine but the limit of urge to urinate depends on the person and even for the same person it differs from one day to another as you can still delay it when you get the urge at 8 oz.

ETA: It's not a (day in - day out = 0) when it comes to water levels in body

ahmommy

You drink water to prevent yourself from retaining water, because the water flushes out the sodium and whatever else. So if you have a bad sodium day, or it's your TOM, yes you're likely to retain water. Then once you get enough water in your cells, it flushes everything out and you no longer need to have that water retained (ie you excrete more in the end).

But if I go from drinking a couple of sodas a day to drinking 64 ounces of water a day, I'm hitting the bathroom very often. I've been told that over time I won't have to go as often. I still don't understand the biology of this. Will not 64 ounces in become roughly 64 ounces out, with variations for natural retention and sweating?

All I'm really getting out of this is that it's not true, you will always be hitting the restroom constantly if you drink a lot of water.

flynnfinn

i drink anywhere from 2L up to 5L of water a day. i've been drinking water like this forever and i can tell you, i still PEE A LOT! i've had to pee in the bushes when we go for a 2 hour hike! everyone thinks i excessively drink water but i find that i feel less bloated the more i drink. i also perspire a lot more and this is going to sound gross but my sweat is not salty (not like i go around tasting my sweat but the occasional bead of sweat has made it into my mouth and it tasted like nothing).

i also read somewhere that very active people need more fluids. i am very active...like VERY active. and i do not like it when my pee is not clear. if it is yellow, that is a sign to me that i am dehydrated.

but i am no expert. these are just my thoughts/opinions. i know people that hardly drink any water and are just a-ok with that. whatever floats your boat...no pun intended.

xarge

You drink water to prevent yourself from retaining water, because the water flushes out the sodium and whatever else. So if you have a bad sodium day, or it's your TOM, yes you're likely to retain water. Then once you get enough water in your cells, it flushes everything out and you no longer need to have that water retained (ie you excrete more in the end).

But if I go from drinking a couple of sodas a day to drinking 64 ounces of water a day, I'm hitting the bathroom very often. I've been told that over time I won't have to go as often. I still don't understand the biology of this. Will not 64 ounces in become roughly 64 ounces out, with variations for natural retention and sweating?

All I'm really getting out of this is that it's not true, you will always be hitting the restroom constantly if you drink a lot of water.

You're thinking of human body as a pipe, it can never be 64 oz in 64oz out from kidneys. You lose a great amount through respiration and sweating. It's not easy to give an average on that as it depends on the activity level of person, climate, body mass, age etc but the total minimum can be estimated at about 28-30oz. So with a 64 oz. intake, that leaves only 34 oz. for the rest of the body and kidneys. If you were used to drinking less, your bladder habits have regulated down to lower water intake (urge to urinate really differs from one person to another and hugely in most women over 40 due to weak pelvic floor muscles), as on normal activity with low water intake you barely leave any water to be excreted via kidneys unless you are consuming a lot of water dense fruits or vegetables. So even a change 1-2 cups of overall extra would make you visit the restroom more frequently.

The body can adjust to the new water intake in a couple of days or more, but you will notice the signs of better water intake on your skin especially on knees and elbows if you're not using moisturizers. Even with 8 cups of water it's usual to visit the restroom 3-4 times a day. But it's 8-10 times a day, then you're either drinking more than you need (urine color is a good indication of that) or you may have overactive bladder.

siriusalien

OK, it has been suggested that since I do eat out often, that I am retaining water due to the high sodium is restaurant foods. It has also been suggested that I increase my water intake significantly to combat "weight gain" due to water retention.

Is there science behind this, or is it a myth?

xarge

OK, it has been suggested that since I do eat out often, that I am retaining water due to the high sodium is restaurant foods. It has also been suggested that I increase my water intake significantly to combat "weight gain" due to water retention.

Is there science behind this, or is it a myth?

Yes, I haven't explained in detail above but by taking more water, you are diluting the sodium. Sodium in plasma is filtered in nephrons and then some of it is reabsorped because the body still want to keep some of it for bodily functions and inner balance. This way, by drinking water, you tell your kidneys to filter sodium more frequently as the kidneys wants to get rid of the excess water. So the extra sodium is eventually excreted.

petiteLady89

I've been drinking a lot of water for a long time now and the constant peeing doesn't go away.

LorinaLynn

Sweating more, peeing more, evaporation, breathing more....

Some of the water leaves your body when breathing, especially heavy breathing, which is why kids steam up car windows when they find their thrill on Blueberry Hill.

siriusalien

OK, it has been suggested that since I do eat out often, that I am retaining water due to the high sodium is restaurant foods. It has also been suggested that I increase my water intake significantly to combat "weight gain" due to water retention.

Is there science behind this, or is it a myth?

Yes, I haven't explained in detail above but by taking more water, you are diluting the sodium. Sodium in plasma is filtered in nephrons and then some of it is reabsorped because the body still want to keep some of it for bodily functions and inner balance. This way, by drinking water, you tell your kidneys to filter sodium more frequently as the kidneys wants to get rid of the excess water. So the extra sodium is eventually excreted.

Thank you: that's what I was looking for.. So by diluting and excreting sodium, the body is less likely to retain water (fluids) correct?