How much water do we need in a day?

This article pertains to the bare 'minimum.' If you are thirsty, then your body is already telling you have started to become dehydrated! You do not want to get to this point!

Also, drinking water helps if you happen to be carrying a few extra pounds. Often people eat because they think they are hungry, when in reality, all they are is becoming dehydrated and they think they need food. A bottle of water would take care of this.

After all the years of hearing we need to drink more water, one article saying the opposite is not going to turn my thinking...

Use all the indicators your body gives you, lack of urine, thirst, yellow urine, hunger, etc. If you are experiencing any of these, drink some water and see what happens in about an hour. Chances are the water will decrease if not eliminate all these problems...

As to obtaining water through other drinks, watch the CAFFEINE! One glass of caffeinated drink DEHYDRATES you to the point where it takes ONE GLASS of water to negate it! So for those that drink a 12 pack of Coke a day, it would take a gallon of water to get you even! Hence, why people that drink pop all the time seem to need more all the time, they are simply dehydrating themselves with ever sip!

If you are expelling the same amount of water as you take in, then you are properly hydrated! If you are not urinating, yet you are drinking substantial amounts of water, then your body is absorbing it to meet its needs. Therefore, take what they say and put it to practice, because they are almost contradicting themselves in the article!

That bottle of water is GOOD for you! It keeps you from becoming dehydrated and your body should never have to give you one of those signs to tell you to drink more water.

That's my $.02 worth!
 
Without going hog wild, it is almost impossible to overdose on water, but it is very possible, indeed common, for people to dehydrate, even in a civilised urban environment.
Mr Goldfarb's article seemed to be more of a comment on young women carrying water bottles as a fashion accessory than a serious observation about the human body's need for water.

There are any number of survival experts that will tell you of the primary requirement to find and consume water.

Take this article with a pinch of salt (washed down with a cool glass of water) ;)
 
...finally, an artical with common sense.
If you are thirsty drink, if not don't bother. I just did a long weekend (4 days) in the mountains on 3 quarts and a couple of cups of coffee, wasn't thirsty when I left, wasn't thirsty when I got back ( I had an untouched gallon in reserve).
Hypothermia is a much bigger issue (unless you are in the desert). I agree that soda is no good as a thirst quencher (figured this out in the Utah desert once upon a time and the lesson stuck.)
Just my $0.02.
Enjoy!
 
BlueyM said:
Without going hog wild, it is almost impossible to overdose on water...
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Actually, you can! About fifteen years ago, a guy in the UK committed suicide by drinking water almost continuously, and indeed hyper-hydration is what killed him at the cellular level. I tried looking for the story on Google, but couldn't find it in time.

Mr Goldfarb's article seemed to be more of a comment on young women carrying water bottles as a fashion accessory than a serious observation about the human body's need for water.
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True enough, but I think his article went one step further... that the people doing this are under the impression that it's actually improving their health, when his studies show it's doing nothing past a certain point.
 
yes it is possible to drink too much water (kids on ecstasy/mdma have died from this) but its really hard and takes all but an actual effort...
 
I see a lot of city people drinking more water in a day than i do on a strenous hike in 40 Celuis weather. What happens is that as the person consumes large amounts of water over the course of the day, blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) increases. As this takes place, the salt content of the blood is diluted. At the same time, the person is losing salt by sweating (normal body function). Consequently, the amount of salt available to the body tissues decreases over time to a point where the loss interferes with brain, heart, and muscle function.

The official name for this condition is hyponatremia. The symptoms generally mirror those of dehydration (apathy, confusion, nausea, and fatigue), although some individuals show no symptoms at all. If untreated, hyponatremia can lead to coma and even death.

i have seen people in office settings, and other settings, collapse from drinking so much bottled water a day. One girl i know, drinks on average 3 liters of water an hour :eek: I drink lots of water (when required) but damn i tried to drink what she does and there is no way i can intake that amount of water, yet every two seconds she is mouthing the water bottle....

i always add a pinch of salt to every liter of water i drink. better safe than sory....
 
[edit] oops... i see that this has been covered (and better) by a previous poster. my apologies!!

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just building on what Watchful was saying above... drinking water in extreme can cause sodium levels in the blood to fall below normal, a condition called hyponatremia.

you basically sweat AND urinate all the vital salts out of your system and can go into kidney failure.

but it is pretty hard to do... most people in typical situations would not get close. it is mainly endurance athletes in hot climates who drink water not electrolyte balanced fluids who are at risk.
 
For about a year I was off of my diabetes medicine. Yeah, pretty stupid, even when I have the best health insurance around. Anyway, I was drinking three gallons of water per day, in addition to about 5 bottles of diet Sprite, several cups of iced tea, and the occasional brew.

I'm glad I was told I could drown myself. Most of that had expanded my stomach, which is not good when trying to lose weight!
 
I thought of one line in the article and have copied it here:

"Since most glasses contain about 12 oz. of fluid, about 5 glasses of fluid each day is sufficient to maintain a stable water content of the body."

All they are saying is that you should drink about 60 oz. of water per day 5x12=60, which is what most experts say is what you SHOULD drink a day, i.e. most say 64 oz is a daily requirement. So in the end all they did was agree with what most say anyhow.

I donate plasma twice a week, that's 880mL times two. I drink approximately 64 oz of water everyday except the day AFTER I donate, I tend to drink about 80-100 oz which restores what I've donated.
 
geekswithguns said:
yes it is possible to drink too much water (kids on ecstasy/mdma have died from this) but its really hard and takes all but an actual effort...
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People in the gym have done it quite regularly, the dilution of the pottasium in your blood can cause heart trouble.

Drinking water during mild to vigorous activity has been proven to increase stamina, but that is drinking a regular amount at frequent intervals, not a litre every 5 minutes. We all just need to ensure that we are drinking enough water, not go over the top and drink til we can drink no more.
 
Plainsman said:
All they are saying is that you should drink about 60 oz. of water per day 5x12=60, which is what most experts say is what you SHOULD drink a day, i.e. most say 64 oz is a daily requirement. So in the end all they did was agree with what most say anyhow.
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I think Plainsman has got it: it's not enough to say that we should drink more or less, without providing a specific measure as a starting point.

And oldnbusted sums all of it up for me: just drink what you need for what you're doing.
 
I take what most articles or 'experts' on water with a huge grain of salt.
There are a ton of factors that can make a difference in how much water each individual needs or 'feels' that they need. Weight , age , physical shape being a few.
I drink water throughout the work day and at home , not gallon after gallon mind you , but if I am thirsty , I sip.
I also love coffee ! and we know what caffiene does to your body's hydration.
I find it mildly amusing how many people substitute soda (aka garbage) for water , or when doing outdoorsy type stuff , a lot of my friends will drink beer all day , and wonder why they feel like crap that night or the next day.
I think even "harmful" things like tobacco or alcohol are fine if taken in moderation and isnt moderation the whole key anyway ?
I normally dont push myself in the outdoors beyond my limits , if I feel like resting , I rest , if I feel thirsty by all means I drink or sip , if I feel hungry I will snack on something light , a lot of it is mental anyways.
The 'water myth' is a lot like the 'no carb fad' IMHO.
 
rebeltf said:
I take what most articles or 'experts' on water with a huge grain of salt.
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That could be a very clever pun.
rebeltf said:
The 'water myth' is a lot like the 'no carb fad' IMHO.
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Kudos! :D Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so....
 
Over the last couple of weeks, I've been to Big Mtn. AZ., the Mojave near laughlin, NV. and the California high desert. Temps varied from about 125 and 102 at the peak of the day, depending on the location. Under normal day to day on the coast of Calif., I drink about 60oz. of water daily. While on my trip, my intake increased to 3 liters plus, combining water and rehydrating sport drinks.
 
If you've ever experienced severe deyhdration it tends to mark you. The suffering is intense and affects every part of you. I once walked 24 miles in August heat (PA) on one US Army Canteen of water. Dehydration is no fun at all. At the end of the hike I was non-functional.

Aside from firearms, extra water is one of the heaviest things you can put into a pack. The temptation is always there to leave the extra water behind.

There are so many variables that affect you water consumption and your reaction to or tolerance of dehydration that you should always plan in a margin of error. If you are in an enviromnet with little water then it is especially important. In many locations water is there to be had if you have the means to collect and treat it. If ity becomes a problem then just stop, refill, and keep drinking. It does take planning to make use of raw water in the wilderness. If you're not willing to carry extra water then at least carry the means to treat what you find.

I live in intense heat for most of the year. I don't have AC and I grew up in PA so I'm not exactly set up for this kind of weather long term. In the heat of the year I easily drink 4 liters of water and usually feel like I'm dehydrated. I have been in the bush doing hard labor in intense heat and used 8 liters. Some of that was for washing and cooking, but I was soaked through until after sunset with sweat.

I typically will carry three liters but I take the carrying capacity for eight. My typical load will be a US Army canteen and a 2 liter Platypus bag. As a back up I carry an empty five liter bag. I sweat like a horse, I know I suffer sorely if I allow myself to get dehydrated. Mac
 
If you are trying to hike outdoors on a nice Florida summer day, where the temperature runs into the 90s along with the humidity, if there is no breeze or little shade, you will go through those 64 oz. within a couple of hours.

n2s
 
Interesting thread and useful posts.

TV today said riders on the Tour d'France lose about 10 pounds a day in the mountains despite drinking at every opportunity. They are working hard at altitude in summer heat and humidity.

I have read in several places that one reason we sweat more in humid weather is that the humidity retards evaporative cooling -- so we sweat more to compensate. I have sure observed that I get far less soaked when backpacking out West (lots of salt on the shirt back). Also, a spongful of tepid water on the head quickly feels like cold water out there.
 
I like to follow the rule that if you pee is clear and copious your good, if not need to drink water. In my experience by not drinking enough can cause problems in the backcountry which are quite obivous. If your being a couch patato at home your need is not nearly the same.
 
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