Should you force yourself to drink more?
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Why make your kidneys work more than they need to? Do you like having to work more than you need to? Would you paint a large wall with a big roller or a 1" brush?
I personally drink a lot of water. I am prone to bladder infections. These can then travel to the kidneys and then it's a whole lot of fun. Almost been hospitalised twice.
Drinking water flushes out some germs that shouldn't be there. If I have an infection I drink a pint of water every half an hour. There's a challenge!!
A friend of mine was doing around an hour or more of cardio a day and wasn't drinking enough, he ended up in hospital. Peeing BLOOD is no fun at all... Kidney infection due to dehydration.
So it is important to stay hydrated. There are many other reason to do so as well, kidney function is just a key one of mine!
The chart seems to be a good indcator although things do affect the colour of your pee...vitamins, beetroot etc... If you are eating well and drinking things other than water you might be OK, especially if you are not sweating much or having any issues like headaches and so on.
Everyone is different!
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The only reason you're removing more water is because there's more water available. You don't "need" to drink more water unless:
a) you're an athlete. Dehydration impairs performance (no benefit by overhydration). So you stay on top of it.
b) you have a story of kidney disease. More concentrated (i.e. darker) urine has a much higher propensity to create kidney stones. Beyond genetic predisposition, highly concentrated urine is the highest risk factor. I had a coworker that kept a vial with his excreted stones at his desk to remind him to drink.
c) you're thirsty.
If you're happy with the way your hydration is working for you, no worries. We are all different. I sweat buckets sometimes (early summer, before I get acclimated to working out in humid heat ) but then it changes. So liquid intake changes.
I also don't like water alone that much, but take a bunch of other liquids. Coffee, tea, diluted fruit juice, soda, etc. Mostly low-calories.0 -
Dehydration affects your ability to function
If your urine is more concentrated it signifies that you are dehydratednoobletmcnugget wrote: »noobletmcnugget wrote: »are you dehydrated
check your pee ... if it's not light straw colour then drink more
But why does it need to be light straw coloured or paler? If it's darker it just means your kidney is concentrating it more by reabsorbing more water. There's nothing wrong with that. You therefore still get the water you need, just by not getting rid of as much instead of drinking more.
dehydration is dehydration
the colour signifies that adequate liquid (doesn't have to be water) is being taken in
urine is about flushing through the system, the kidney shouldn't have to work harder
this is the closest they get to appropriate advice
you can google hydration and look for the science for your answers (I'm happy with the top summary part and don't really care to know that much more)
But the only reason it's clearer is because you're removing more water which suggests there's more of an excess. As long as your urine isn't really concentrated, surely it's fine. The whole point of the kidney is to regulate water reabsorption to maintain homeostasis... it's just doing it's job surely?
I tried doing a quick google and could just see a bunch of magazine-style websites (the type that also advocate detoxes, etc.). I'll have a better look later if I have time.
'more of an excess' ??
so where are you judging that adequate is if not by the colour chart? It actually shows you at what point your urine is too concentrated doesn't it? Isn't the very nature of the chart a hydration guideline.
I'm failing to see the issue you're seeing0 -
When a physician is checking a patient for dehydration the first thing they look at is the color of your urine.0
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Dehydration affects your ability to function
If your urine is more concentrated it signifies that you are dehydratednoobletmcnugget wrote: »noobletmcnugget wrote: »are you dehydrated
check your pee ... if it's not light straw colour then drink more
But why does it need to be light straw coloured or paler? If it's darker it just means your kidney is concentrating it more by reabsorbing more water. There's nothing wrong with that. You therefore still get the water you need, just by not getting rid of as much instead of drinking more.
dehydration is dehydration
the colour signifies that adequate liquid (doesn't have to be water) is being taken in
urine is about flushing through the system, the kidney shouldn't have to work harder
this is the closest they get to appropriate advice
you can google hydration and look for the science for your answers (I'm happy with the top summary part and don't really care to know that much more)
But the only reason it's clearer is because you're removing more water which suggests there's more of an excess. As long as your urine isn't really concentrated, surely it's fine. The whole point of the kidney is to regulate water reabsorption to maintain homeostasis... it's just doing it's job surely?
I tried doing a quick google and could just see a bunch of magazine-style websites (the type that also advocate detoxes, etc.). I'll have a better look later if I have time.
'more of an excess' ??
so where are you judging that adequate is if not by the colour chart? It actually shows you at what point your urine is too concentrated doesn't it? Isn't the very nature of the chart a hydration guideline.
I'm failing to see the issue you're seeing
The thing your body is aiming to keep constant is osmotic pressure. Doing this results in varying degrees of water reabsorption, and so varying shades of urine.
Surely as long as homeostasis of your body water content is maintained, it doesn't matter whether that comes from increased water input or decreased water output?
In my mind 'adequate' is when you're not experiencing any physical symptoms of dehydration (e.g. headaches). Going by the chart doesn't make sense to me (aside from the extremes).0 -
noobletmcnugget wrote: »Dehydration affects your ability to function
If your urine is more concentrated it signifies that you are dehydratednoobletmcnugget wrote: »noobletmcnugget wrote: »are you dehydrated
check your pee ... if it's not light straw colour then drink more
But why does it need to be light straw coloured or paler? If it's darker it just means your kidney is concentrating it more by reabsorbing more water. There's nothing wrong with that. You therefore still get the water you need, just by not getting rid of as much instead of drinking more.
dehydration is dehydration
the colour signifies that adequate liquid (doesn't have to be water) is being taken in
urine is about flushing through the system, the kidney shouldn't have to work harder
this is the closest they get to appropriate advice
you can google hydration and look for the science for your answers (I'm happy with the top summary part and don't really care to know that much more)
But the only reason it's clearer is because you're removing more water which suggests there's more of an excess. As long as your urine isn't really concentrated, surely it's fine. The whole point of the kidney is to regulate water reabsorption to maintain homeostasis... it's just doing it's job surely?
I tried doing a quick google and could just see a bunch of magazine-style websites (the type that also advocate detoxes, etc.). I'll have a better look later if I have time.
'more of an excess' ??
so where are you judging that adequate is if not by the colour chart? It actually shows you at what point your urine is too concentrated doesn't it? Isn't the very nature of the chart a hydration guideline.
I'm failing to see the issue you're seeing
The thing your body is aiming to keep constant is osmotic pressure. Doing this results in varying degrees of water reabsorption, and so varying shades of urine.
Surely as long as homeostasis of your body water content is maintained, it doesn't matter whether that comes from increased water input or decreased water output?
In my mind 'adequate' is when you're not experiencing any physical symptoms of dehydration (e.g. headaches). Going by the chart doesn't make sense to me (aside from the extremes).
Well if you think you know what you're doing...
Although I would ask how you check that homeostasis of your body water content is maintained if not by colour of urine .. because thirst is not a good indicator, and impact on brain and physical function is hard to identify unless you're a top-class athlete, headaches would probably come at extremes after less obvious systems have been working harder than required.
wouldn't suit me to go against conventional advice0 -
noobletmcnugget wrote: »Dehydration affects your ability to function
If your urine is more concentrated it signifies that you are dehydratednoobletmcnugget wrote: »noobletmcnugget wrote: »are you dehydrated
check your pee ... if it's not light straw colour then drink more
But why does it need to be light straw coloured or paler? If it's darker it just means your kidney is concentrating it more by reabsorbing more water. There's nothing wrong with that. You therefore still get the water you need, just by not getting rid of as much instead of drinking more.
dehydration is dehydration
the colour signifies that adequate liquid (doesn't have to be water) is being taken in
urine is about flushing through the system, the kidney shouldn't have to work harder
this is the closest they get to appropriate advice
you can google hydration and look for the science for your answers (I'm happy with the top summary part and don't really care to know that much more)
But the only reason it's clearer is because you're removing more water which suggests there's more of an excess. As long as your urine isn't really concentrated, surely it's fine. The whole point of the kidney is to regulate water reabsorption to maintain homeostasis... it's just doing it's job surely?
I tried doing a quick google and could just see a bunch of magazine-style websites (the type that also advocate detoxes, etc.). I'll have a better look later if I have time.
'more of an excess' ??
so where are you judging that adequate is if not by the colour chart? It actually shows you at what point your urine is too concentrated doesn't it? Isn't the very nature of the chart a hydration guideline.
I'm failing to see the issue you're seeing
The thing your body is aiming to keep constant is osmotic pressure. Doing this results in varying degrees of water reabsorption, and so varying shades of urine.
Surely as long as homeostasis of your body water content is maintained, it doesn't matter whether that comes from increased water input or decreased water output?
In my mind 'adequate' is when you're not experiencing any physical symptoms of dehydration (e.g. headaches). Going by the chart doesn't make sense to me (aside from the extremes).
Well if you think you know what you're doing...
Although I would ask how you check that homeostasis of your body water content is maintained if not by colour of urine .. because thirst is not a good indicator, and impact on brain and physical function is hard to identify unless you're a top-class athlete, headaches would probably come at extremes after less obvious systems have been working harder than required.
wouldn't suit me to go against conventional advice
Probably by the fact that I've gone the past 19 years only drinking when thirsty without any issues.
I think I'll just continue how I am.
Thanks for the replies!
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so why would you ask the question in the first place if something is not niggling you
to be honest we can get away with treating our body like sh1t in our youth .. seriously it bounds and rebounds no matter what we put it through .. you should be looking at what you're laying down for your future self - the person you are going to be in 30 years or so
good musculature, good cardiovascular fitness, well-rounded nutrition, avoiding too much excess of stuff you know is bad for you (drugs / alcohol / loose women
) and yes hydrating properly
*falls on deaf ears*
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So your a typical 19 year old that knows more than you think you really do. Don't believe the color chart, don't believe anything any one else tells you. By all means keep doing what you're doing and don't listen to any of the medical community's advice in regards to hydration...surely you know more than they do...0
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Asks a questions, gets answers. Doesn't like answers so argues the point with special snowflake anecdotal evidence.
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Well it's your body. But if the answers here are not doing it for you, then I think you should have this conversation with your doctor and go with whatever s/he tells you.0
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ruggedshutter wrote: »So your a typical 19 year old that knows more than you think you really do. Don't believe the color chart, don't believe anything any one else tells you. By all means keep doing what you're doing and don't listen to any of the medical community's advice in regards to hydration...surely you know more than they do...
Bit rude. I've been asking genuine questions. No one has linked any papers or given examples of negative long-term consequences of not drinking large volumes.
And there's been conflicting opinions given. Especially since some say needing to drink so much is a myth.
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Asks a questions, gets answers. Doesn't like answers so argues the point with special snowflake anecdotal evidence.
I got conflicting answers actually. And no one gave any real evidence.
Plus it's hardly 'special snowflake anecdotal evidence' when we've evolved to rely on thirst for millions of years, as have many other species, to ensure adequate osmoregulation.0 -
noobletmcnugget wrote: »And there's been conflicting opinions given. Especially since some say needing to drink so much is a myth.
The two aren't mutually exclusive. I would be the first to tell you that no, you do not need to force feed yourself 8 glasses of water. I would also be the first to tell you that if your urine is darker than it should be, that you should drink a little more of something. Doesn't have to be plain water. Eat more watery fruit, whatever.
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so why would you ask the question in the first place if something is not niggling you
to be honest we can get away with treating our body like sh1t in our youth .. seriously it bounds and rebounds no matter what we put it through .. you should be looking at what you're laying down for your future self - the person you are going to be in 30 years or so
good musculature, good cardiovascular fitness, well-rounded nutrition, avoiding too much excess of stuff you know is bad for you (drugs / alcohol / loose women) and yes hydrating properly
*falls on deaf ears*
I asked the question because I always see people harping on about how you need to drink X number of glasses of water a day, etc.
Haha loose men since I'm a straight female
Thanks for the reply. I hope to set up good habits for the rest of my life.
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Just let him get on with it he obviously doesnt need to be hydrated.0
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noobletmcnugget wrote: »are you dehydrated
check your pee ... if it's not light straw colour then drink more
But why does it need to be light straw coloured or paler? If it's darker it just means your kidney is concentrating it more by reabsorbing more water. There's nothing wrong with that. You therefore still get the water you need, just by not getting rid of as much instead of drinking more.
No, this is incorrect. Check with your doctor.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/complications/con-200300560 -
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Alcohol? 0
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Also from that very same Mayo article:In general, it's best to start hydrating the day before strenuous exercise. Producing lots of clear, dilute urine is a good indication that you're well hydrated.
So I don't know how much further you're going to get. If you don't move a lot and don't live somewhere warm or dry, then you probably don't need 8 glasses of water (whatever a glass consitutes) or x ounces per pound of bodyweight or whatever.
Just use the chart. Maybe you can get by on less water because of any other number of factors in your life.
Also, the answer is never "just make the kidneys work harder!"0
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