Current Best Recommendations
You may have read different recommendations based on the website you were browsing or who you were talking to. If you are confused, a good rule of thumb for proper hydration is to consume approximately three liters of water each day. This would translate into about 12-13 cups of water per day. Read below for more accurate adjustments regarding your water intake based on your lifestyle to meet yourunique water needs!
Common recommendations state that we should take in approximately 8 cups of water every day. This is recommended to maintain proper hydration levels and support our body’s cellular functions. Water makes up roughly 40-70% of your total mass (45-60% in women, 50-65% in men), with muscle containing roughly 70% water. Without the intake of water, we inevitably die within three days. But what do we need so much water for? And how much water do you need based on your lifestyle? To answer that question, we have to look a little deeper into our bodies cells.
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Bodily Functions of Water
Let us find out about the bodily functions of water! On a cellular level it becomes evident why we need so much of it. Below you can find a list of all the functions of water within our bodies:
- Acts a a transport medium within the bloodstream
- Diffusion of gases
- Clearance of waste products
- Joint lubrication
- Cushions organs
- Provides structure
- Maintains our body temperature
As you can see, Water has quite a lot of Functions within the body!
So let’s try our best to replenish it often, and as safely as possible (more about this later)! Before we go into your unique needs, let us look at main ways of your body’s water intake and loss.
Balancing Fluid Intake & Fluid Loss
Let us take a look at our typical values regarding fluid intake and fluid loss, so that we can optimize our daily fluid intake accordingly. Some of these may be surprising to you!
- Daily Water Intake: Food (~1 liter/day), Metabolic water (~110ml = 1 cup/day), Liquids
- Daily Water Loss: Skin (~350ml+/day), water vapor (~250ml+/day), feces (up to ~800ml/day), Urine
Lifestyle Based Adjustments to Fluid Intake
As eluded to above, your lifestyle has a very big impact on the amount of fluids you should be consuming on a daily basis. Below you can find the factors that affect it. Next to that you will find quantitative recommendations about how much you should be adding to prevent chronic dehydration, as well as painful joint aches as a result of it.
- Exercise / Activity level: You lose more water as you exercise through your sweat. Do your best to replenish lost fluids by drinking 2-3 cups of water per hour of activity in addition to your normal intake recommendations.
- Environment: If you live in a warmer climate, your body tries to cool itself down by sweating more. Replenish by adding an extra cup of water per hour to stay hydrated.
- Overall Health: If your body is operating at a higher temperature because you are fighting off sickness, you will need to provide your body with added hydration. The amount depends on your symptoms, so check in with your doctor for more information.
- Pregnancy / Breast-Feeding: If you have another human growing inside of your body, you will need to share your fluids with them as well. Drink 2-3 extra cups of water per day to keep yourself, and your little one, hydrated.
- Gender: Due to various reasons such as muscle mass, height, and differences in tissues, women generally require slightly less water than men do. If you are a women, you will get away with ~2 cups of less water than males.
Beware of Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia (hypo = too low, natremia = sodium) occurs when the sodium levels within your body are below normal levels. It can occur if you drink too much water in too little time or you lose significant amount of water within a short time. You should be aware of the negative side effects of this so that you can recognize them and properly react to it.
Your body requires sodium for reasons such as fluid balance, nerve signal propagation, as well as muscle function. Signs include headaches, nausea, confusion, loss of energy, and in severe cases – vomiting, seizures and death.
You can prevent this by drinking water in moderation, drinking sports drinks (as they have added electrolytes) and by taking caution.
*Disclaimer*
I suggest that you speak to your doctor before starting any high intensity program. If you are worried that a high-intensity program may cause a flare up or worsen a current physical injury, speak to your physical therapist before starting an exercise program.
I want to be transparent with you so I am disclosing that there may be some affiliate links within my newsletters. Given this information, you can assume that I will receive a small commission from any links included. That being said, I truly only promote products or services that I believe deliver great value to you and support you in your journey of becoming a happier version of yourself through exercise!