Do you drink eight glasses of water every day? Should You ? It's important to make sure you drink enough water, especially if you live in extreme heat conditions. Dehydration can lead to fatiguespikes in arterial pressure and irregular heartbeat. But the rules of hydration are surprisingly slippery.
There's plenty of advice out there on how much water you should drink, who needs it most, and how to tell if you're dehydrated. In this article, you'll learn the true recommended water intake, as well as several factors that influence your hydration needs.
Learn more: The best reusable water bottles
How much water should you drink every day
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It's generally not a bad idea to sip water.
We all know the old adage: drink eight glasses of water, 8 ounces each, every day. It's the eight by eight rule that guides us to drink 64 ounces of water every day. Many of us have blindly followed this advice our entire lives, without knowing where it came from or why we need eight glasses of water.
Apparently the eight-by-eight rule came out of nowhere, because there is no scientific evidence to support it. It's just another one of those long-standing myths that people believe because that's what everyone believes. While drinking 64 ounces of water every day isn't a bad thing, it may be too much or not enough for some people.
Other guidelines exist, but there is still no real consensus. There are no formal recommendations for how much water people should drink each day, perhaps because everyone needs different amounts of water.
There is an “adequate intake” of water for adult men and women, but it can vary from person to person. This adequate intake includes water from beverages other than water, such as milk, sports drinkstea and yes, even coffee. This also includes water from fruits, vegetables, and other foods (think about how much water is in a bowl of oatmeal or soup).
THE adequate intake (p. 73) is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 125 ounces) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 91 ounces) for women. However you choose to consume those 125 or 91 ounces of fluid is up to you. Although this is the closest number to the recommended daily intake, even these numbers vary for each person depending on a few variables.
You may need more water if…
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When you lose fluids due to sweating, replace them with water or sports drinks.
You have an active job: Those who are on the go all day (especially those who work outdoors) may need more water than most people. The more you move, the more you sweat and you need to replace lost water (and electrolytes) with fluid intake.
You exercise often: If you don't have an active job but exercise a lot, whether at the gym or through recreational activities, you also need more water than most. Even if you don't realize it, you lose a lot of fluid during physical activity (even in cold weather). Increase your water intake to account for activity (especially travel activities).
You live in a hot climate: Hot weather means increased sweating and it's important to replace lost fluids. Drought worsens fluid loss in hot weather: people in desert climates may need more water than those in tropical climates.
You are pregnant or breastfeeding: Pregnant people need more water to encourage better circulation, increased caloric intake and other physiological processes to support their baby's growth. Breastfeeding women need more water to support breast milk production.
Various rules of thumb for staying hydrated
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Keeping a glass of water at your workstation can help you drink more water.
Different people follow different rules when it comes to hydration. These four common guidelines can help you stay hydrated, no matter your lifestyle.
Drink when you are thirsty: There is some controversy surrounding this method. Some health professionals say that you shouldn't make hydration too complicated and your body tells you when it needs water. Others say that waiting until you are thirsty is wait too long — that you're already dehydrated when you're thirsty. Some people seem to have stronger thirst mechanisms than others, so this method may or may not work for you.
Drink a drink before meals and between meals: That's not bad advice. Structuring water consumption around a ritual like mealtime can ingrain hydration as a habit. Your total water intake will vary depending on the number of meals you eat. If you eat three meals, you will drink five glasses of water according to this rule, which may not be enough (unless they are large glasses). If you don't have an eating routine, this rule probably won't work for you.
Drink eight glasses a day: Again, one-size-fits-all health advice rarely fits everyone. If you feel adequately hydrated with 64 ounces of water each day, that's perfect. If you feel too hydrated (clear pee and very frequent urination), reduce your intake slightly. If you're feeling dehydrated (dark pee, headaches, infrequent urination), eight glasses might not be enough for you.
Drink half your body weight in ounces: This is a simple guideline, easy to remember and generally easy to implement. If you weigh 150 pounds, try drinking 75 ounces of water every day. This is the only rule of thumb that accounts for different body sizes, but it does not take into account thirst, climate, activity level, or other factors.
Experiment with hydration techniques to find what works for you. As long as you don't struggle with chronic fatigue, headaches or other signs of dehydration, you are probably doing a very good job. To be safe, you can always determine if you are underhydrated or overhydrated based on the color of your urine.