Water Consumption - How Much is Too Much?

Mac_X

If spaced out properly over a day, is there a limit on how much water a person should drink? Obviously, it can be dangerous to drink too much at once, but at what point does it become counterproductive to consume more water?

AmyRhubarb

I've always followed the rule that if my urine is pale yellow or clear, I'm good. If you're clear all day and/or peeing every 30 minutes, it's probably bordering on too much.

Mac_X

That makes a lot of sense. I wonder at the science of it, like if drinking too much water flushes away nutrients from food or vitamins before you can absorb them.

bostonwolf

Too much water can actually cause serious problems. A young woman died running the Boston Marathon a few years ago because she over hydrated and the salts in her blood go too diluted. I forget the technical term for this though.

disasterman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication