the famous hydration question

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jcmrax5
jcmrax5 Posts: 133
in Health and Weight Loss
I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?

Replies

  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
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    The "recommended" amount is 64oz daily, but I personally think it's dependent upon the person. Some people think they're just fine with 48oz a day (perhaps they eat lots of fruit & veg with high water content) while others feel better drinking more lik 72+oz. I myself feel optimal around 72oz a day, although I don't always get that.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    get off the pop
    get on the whiskey
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    My doctor recommends a gallon a day. A trainer I have worked with recommends 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight per day (plus 16 oz min for every hour of exercise). I usually aim for 8-12 cups a day. You also get a lot of water from food if you are eating fruits and veggies.
  • heatherc369
    heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
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    I have always heard that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water
    I weigh 190lbs so I have been trying to drink 95oz of water a day :)
  • 2720cynthia
    2720cynthia Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm not sure...I've heard that once a day it should be practically colorless...not really any yellow at all.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
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    Article from MayoClinic:

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283


    "So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day."


    I personally make sure to drink 8 cups of plain water per day, as well as other beverages I may have.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    I think the guideline is valid. Soda isn't really dehydrating. Sure, caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes your body release water), but there's also a lot of liquid in there, which is water. The body doesn't care if it's hydration comes from soda, juice, straight water, or watery fruits & vegetables, it is pretty good at separating out the water it needs.

    That said, it's still a good idea to drink mostly water and not a lot of soda, juice, etc. You don't need the extra calories. I often drink 1-2 cans of diet soda, but I still try to drink 8 glasses of just water (or sometimes Crystal Light, but not much) as well. Unless you have a kidney problem, it won't hurt to have a bit extra.
  • purple180
    purple180 Posts: 130 Member
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    I once read (somewhere) that you take your weight and divide it by 2 then drink that in ounces so if you are 160 pounds you drink or should drink 80 ozs per day.
  • DancingDreams1234
    DancingDreams1234 Posts: 165
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    Well I think it also depends on what you eat too.
  • nataschalouise
    nataschalouise Posts: 62
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    I used to live with a girl who played rugby for our country. She had a dehydration chart on the bathroom door!

    Her mantra was to weigh before exercise, and weigh afterwards. For every pound she lost during a session, she would drink a litre (4 glasses) back.

    I now drink about 3litres a day. So about 12 glasses. Could be more when I exercise, but I don't count how many times my water bottle gets empty during a session.

    And I still have a cup of tea, and can of diet coke a day.

    Your bladder gets used to it!
  • crazeeally
    crazeeally Posts: 10
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    That is what I have been told as well
  • jcmrax5
    jcmrax5 Posts: 133
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
    Because i was drinking no water. zero. and i know i wasnt getting enough water from fruits/veggies high in water. while i do eat them, i dont eat enough to make up for not drinking any h20!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
    Because i was drinking no water. zero. and i know i wasnt getting enough water from fruits/veggies high in water. while i do eat them, i dont eat enough to make up for not drinking any h20!

    I think the point of the comment was that if your urine was pale yellow to clear, then you weren't dehydrated. Soda is mostly water and sugar...you were probably getting way too much sugar, but a lot of water too.
  • 34blast
    34blast Posts: 166 Member
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    There are alot of good articles, but all liquids pretty much count. After messing around a while, you can tell your hydration level by how you feel and verify with bathroom trips, urine color, general well being feeling, and maybe body fat scales. When hydrated properly, your lifting and running will feel good, if too much water you might feel sluggish sluggish, not enough water weak probably weak or low endurance.

    You can actually drink too much water, but its rare. you can google it here is one article
    http://www.symptomfind.com/health/water-intoxiaction-dangers-of-overhydration/

    Google can lend you to some nice interesting articles on what urine tells you such as
    http://www.health.arizona.edu/health_topics/nutrition/general/waterhydration.htm

    When I run, play soccer, or do interval training I sweat alot more than the average person. I drink 64 oz of water afterwards. When I'm at home, I weight before and after. I've seen times, I drink 64 oz after an excruciating interval training session and still won't have to go to the bathroom for up to 3 hours. I sort of use my bathroom use and urine color help guide me.

    Also, I have body fat scales. They can help some. Mine give a hydration level. When I was heavier, it was hard, really hard to get a reading over 50%. Now that I'm less fat, it is typically about 52%. If its less than 50%, I drink a little more. If its over 52%, I'm going to the bathroom alot.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
    Because i was drinking no water. zero. and i know i wasnt getting enough water from fruits/veggies high in water. while i do eat them, i dont eat enough to make up for not drinking any h20!
    A 12 oz can of Dr Pepper contains 11.88 oz of water. How were you not drinking any water if you were drinking Dr. Pepper?
  • Panu83
    Panu83 Posts: 1
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    Hi,

    here's a few pointers that might be of interest.

    The National Research Council (NRC) uses a sliding scale of 1 milliliter of water for every calorie burned. The NRC says the average man — who burns about 2,900 calories daily — needs 2,900 milliliters, or about 12 cups, of water each day. The average woman — who burns 2,200 calories daily — needs about 2,200 milliliters, or about 9 cups, of water each day. For your own calculations: One measuring cup (8 ounces) of water equals 236 milliliters of water. Most of you guys most likely have an idea of your daily calorie consumption, so you can use this advice to calculate the hydration (tea, juices etc also count, but water is the best option) you need. If you use exercise apps which calculate your calorie consumption, its easy to use this formula to estimate the hydration you need to replace the fluids lost during exercise. According to scientific research,about 20% of the daily water intake comes from solid foods.

    Here's a few links that might be interesting:
    EFSA recommendations for daily water intake: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1459.htm
    Hydration council: http://www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk/hydration-facts/faqs-on-hydration/ (even though they are sponsored by Danone Water, the cited research is mostly independent and thus non-biased

    The reason I am into this topic is that my startup is creating a solution for optimizing personal hydration. It is still in development stage, but you can find out more at www.caktus.me. It does not (and is not meant to) track all your liquid intake, but rather coach and motivate people who constantly fall behind on their goals to drink more, and also help them calculate and keep track of the consumption in an effortless way. Many of the benefits of hydration are also subjective; we directed a survey to 70 people, and 50% told us that the most important reason why they drink or should drink more water is that it simply makes them feel better, in a holistical manner.


    Hope this helps you out.

    //Panu
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
    Because i was drinking no water. zero. and i know i wasnt getting enough water from fruits/veggies high in water. while i do eat them, i dont eat enough to make up for not drinking any h20!
    A 12 oz can of Dr Pepper contains 11.88 oz of water. How were you not drinking any water if you were drinking Dr. Pepper?

    ^
    This.

    Plus, it isn't just 'watery' foods that count. A potato is 80% water, for example.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I saw a post yesterday asking about water and how much to drink. someone said as long as your urine is a pale yellow.
    well...stupid question but Im a pop addict. currently weaning off of it but there was a time where i drank nothing but dr. pepper and my urine was still always a pale yellow. i know i was dehydrated. so is that "guideline" really an accurate one?
    Why do you think you were dehydrated? According to what you posted, your hydration level was just fine.
    Because i was drinking no water. zero. and i know i wasnt getting enough water from fruits/veggies high in water. while i do eat them, i dont eat enough to make up for not drinking any h20!

    So what is that liquid substance that they make pop out of? WATER! You were drinking a lot of WATER with sugar and flavouring added!

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