How much water should you
drink each day? — a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have
produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your
water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active
you are and where you live.
Though no single formula fits
everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you
estimate how much water to drink each day.
Health benefits of water
Water is
your body's principal chemical component, comprising, on average, 60
percent of your weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For
example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to
your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat
tissues.
Lack of
water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't
have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions
Nearly all of the major
systems in your body depend on water. How much water do you need?
Every day
you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel
movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its
water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
A couple
of approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average,
healthy adult living in a temperate climate.
·Replacement approach. The average urine
output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional
liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements.
Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if
you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more
than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the
lost fluids.
·Dietary recommendations. The Institute of
Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of
total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of
total beverages a day.
Even apart
from the above approaches, it is generally the case that if you drink
enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce between one and
two liters of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid
intake is probably adequate.
WATER INTAKE CALCULATOR – Lift for Life.com
Multiply your bodyweight by .55-.75 (the higher value applies to people in a warmer climate, this calculator splits the difference at .65). The resulting number is the amount of water you should drink each day in ounces.
You may need to modify
your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you
live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
·Exercise. The more you exercise, the more
fluid you'll need to keep your body hydrated. An extra 1 or 2 cups of
water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise
lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires
additional fluid. How much additional fluid is needed depends on how
much you sweat during the exercise, but 13 to26 ounces (or about 2 to 3
cups) an hour will generally be adequate, unless the weather is
exceptionally warm.
Body
Builders: You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in
ounces. So take .55 and multiply it by your weight to determine how many
ounces of water you need per day.
About the author:
Dave Parise is a
recognized leader in the fitness industry. On the cutting edge
of exercise today, Mr. Parise has been noted as one of the
“Top 15 Trainers” in the United States and across Canada by
the Association for Fitness Professionals, I.D.E.A.
Parise has 20 years
of experience in Human Performance and Exercise Science. His
creative culinary innovations with organic whole foods have been
rated “very delicious” by top chefs in New York. Dave was born
and raised in Hamden CT.
Dave
Parise C.P.T.,
C.E.O. Results Plus Personal Training
N.A.S.M. R.T.S. 1,2. C.S.C.S.
www.resultsplus.com
203-288-8822
