2 water consumptions questions

cant answer 1, but number 2.............i would imagine you would need to drink more if youve exercised because your using the water up, personally i drink more when ive exercised not because your suppose to but because im thirsty!!!!

Some people will say that when you workout the water that you consume during that time should not be considered towards your water consumption because you are putting back what you are sweating out. I think it would be totally up to you but congrats if you can drink that much in the am. Some days I struggle for just 9 in a whole day.

1. Not much of an issue, other than your body needs adequate hydration all day long. Just get another glass or two through the rest of your day.

2. Definitely drink more water before, during and after exercise. However the 1/2 your weight in pounds as ounces of water is a suggestion. If you can make that much and then some, hats off to you! But you don't have to force it all down.

I started at that formula for water. I'm now up to around a gallon of water a day. I exercise every day, at least once a day, if not twice. I just need that much water to feel good!

I subscribe to the theory in your first question. I drink 12-15 cups of water per day. I have a four cup bottle that I bring to work with me. I drink four cups on my hour drive to work. I drink another four cups between breakfast and lunch (usually most of which I drink directly before having lunch). And then I have another four cups on my drive home. The remaining 3 cups I usually have in the evening before/during/after dinner.

I really have no idea on the second question. I don't work out nearly as much as I should, so the 12-15 for me is a "regular" day.

if i try to drink the recommended 1/2 my body weight in oz i am running to the bathroom to pee every 30 min! and i never am able to drink that much anyways! plus then my face and hands get all swollen! so really each individual has their own personal water intake varying on their own body and water loss (which is sometimes hard to measure). if you feel hydrated 24/7 then i think your good. don't worry so much about the amounts, instead worry about how you feel... i know you'd think its just common sense right? :bigsmile:

I agree. The one time I tried to drink 8 glasses I felt so sick that night it was awful. I usually drink around 4 - 6 and feel good.

Just drink whenever you're thirsty.

Just drink whenever you're thirsty.

i heard that once you're thirsty, you're past the point of needing water and actually might be dehydrated. anyone know if this is true?

I've heard that one. I'm sure there is some study to support it.

(1) i read we should drink 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water each day. is it ok to drink it all in the mornings, before lunch? (sorry if this seems like a dumb question.) i work-out in the mornings, and drink all my water from the time i get up until lunch time. just wondering if it should be more evenly spaced through the day/evening?

(2) based on the same quantity as described above, should we INCREASE our water intake if we exercise? is that recommendation for a "normal" day and we might need more when we exercise, or is that calculation correct no matter our activity level?

thanks!

There is no medical need to drink tons of water. None. Zero. Zip.

I hit one of the Mayo sites a few weeks ago and they actually admitted that, though they didn't state it quite so forcefully but at least they did make it clear that "8*8" is a myth.

Snopes did the same, some years ago.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2002/aug/080802.html

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

Snarfing down lots of water won't hurt you (unless you really work at it) but it will help control hunger pangs and, second, if you're having regularity issues, it can help fight off constipation.

Other than that, save your money and your trips to the bathroom.

How much water while running?

That depends…

The International Association of Marathon Directors changed their guidance for runners to drink when you're thirsty. Until about 10 years ago, they recommended pre-hydration and they also recommended that runners drink X ounces per hour.

They changed their opinion in the face of "overwhelming evidence" that thirst was the best guide.

Yes, that's so simple and I'm sure a lot of heads exploded on that news but, heh, folks fought the news that the world is round, too.

The books will tell you that performance starts to degrade with "as little as 2% loss of body fluid" - 2% is a hell of a lot of water! I did 4 miles yesterday and lost 1.6 pounds. It wasn't all that hot (I'm in SoCal) but I still sweated out about 26 ounces. That's about 7 ounces/mile which fits pretty well into the Runner's World advice to drink 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes.

A more accurate approach is to figure out how much water you need - weight yourself stripped down pre-run; do your run; towel off, strip down, and weigh yourself. Each ounce of weight you've lost requires one ounce of liquid that needs to be replaced.

I only drink water on hot days (at least 75º) when I'm doing at least 6 miles. Other than that, I can't be bothered.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN EXPERT!

When I talk to my brother (profession: Personal Trainer, education: Bachelor's of Science - Clinical Physiology [Central Washington University], emphasis in Athletic Training) he says you need around a gallon of water (128 oz) throughout the day for healthy weight lose. I have talked to him about my water drinking and he approves of how I do it.

-Before Workout (~1hr before): 32 oz
-During Warm-Up/Cardio: 32 oz
-During Weights: 32 oz
-After Workout (~1hr after): 32oz
-Throughout Rest of the Day: 32oz

I drink nearly 160 oz a day so I do drink a lot of water. When I took my Fitness for Life in college (Utah Valley University) that was also the recommended (128 oz of water) throughout the day. It helps with digestion of your food throughout the day, keeps you hydrated, and helps keep up your metabolism, etc. Drinking water also helps burn more calories before and after your work out, about 25-50 calories for every 33 oz or so.

Again, NOT AN EXPERT, just have I have learned on my own and in speaking with my brother. Hope this helps.

Interesting.

Could you ask your brother for his opinion about this research?

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2002/aug/080802.html

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

As a laymen, I find it very interesting that a doctor with that expertise couldn't find anything to substantiate 8*8 yet folks like your brother have been taught something that, apparently, is very different than what Dr. V's research shows.

I will send him a Facebook message and ask him, ATT949.

My understanding is that the water consumption of 8 cups per day or other recommendations of up to 1 gallon are for TOTAL consumption of fluid daily.

In other words, if you are getting fluid from other sources - very watery fruit such as melons, other beverages such as tea, coffee fruit juice then this comes OFF the total daily intake required.

When you consider someone who has those fluid sources in their diet and then also drinks a gallon of water their daily intake will be quite high.

Also I understand that this level of intake (over 8 cups) is only necessary when a person works out regularly in an intense fashion (i.e. over an average of 2 hours or more per day) as they need more fluid to carry away waste from the body and rebalance cell fluid.

So based on this a total of 8 cups or slightly more for ALL sources of fluid is sufficient for the average person who is moderately active.