It is easy to accept the fact we should hydrate our bodies regardless of the kind of activities we perform throughout the day, but it is not as easy to keep up with drinking the right amount of water.
As a cross-country runner since the eighth grade, I’ve gotten plenty of lectures from coaches about proper nutrition to optimize progress and performance during the season. I’ve heard advice ranging from “women should drink 11.5 cups” to “everyone should drink half their body weight in ounces” of water per day. You shouldn’t wait until you’re thirsty or your mouth begins to dry up to have a sip of water. Your body may already be going through all these signs of dehydration without you accrediting it:
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Inability to focus
- Dizziness
- Lack of strength
- Less frequent urination
- Dark-colored urine
- Decreased skin elasticity
- Low blood pressure
- Moodiness
And the list goes on.
Some believe that as long as they drink any kind of fluid during the day, they are hydrating themselves. According to the Mayo Clinic, although coffee, tea, juice, and soda do not necessarily offset hydration, these caffeinated drinks have a mild diuretic effect, meaning they can trigger the need to urinate and therefore lose fluids.
Further, alcohol is a notable dehydrator that should at least be accompanied with a one-to-one ratio with water.
Nutritionists each have their own slightly different recommendations for how much water you should drink in a day, but I’ll provide three of the most commonly reported suggestions found from sources such as the Mayo Clinic, Healthline, WebMD, the CDC, and more.
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Women should drink 11.5 cups of fluids a day, 15.5 cups for men
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Half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces of water a day
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Eight 8 ounce cups of water per day (Think 8×8)
These amounts may need to be modified depending on exercise or activities that make you sweat, hot or humid weather, high altitudes, and overall health – if you have a fever, UTI, or are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, the amounts will definitely need to be modified.
It is rare to drink too much water, however you should not try to test this because your kidneys can only get rid of so much excess on their own. Water makes up about 50-70% of our total body weight, and this can come from food and beverage intake such as fruits and vegetables. We lose water by breathing, sweating, crying, urinating, and doing everyday functions like sitting at a desk doing work or standing in the kitchen cooking dinner. Drinking water is essential to a healthy living because it eliminates waste and toxins from the body, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, protects sensitive tissues and allows you to do all the wonderful things you normally do, from exercising to sleeping.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Get the Facts: Drinking Water and Intake.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Dec. 2020, www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.h…
Mayo Clinic Staff. How Much Water Do You Need to Stay Healthy? 14 Oct. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-dep….