How Much Water Should You Drink?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/30111826\/why-do-we-need-water-600-gallon-1.jpg\")
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Well, it depends. For people like my water-averse wife who don\u2019t drink much (or any) H2O, BODi recommends using body weight as a general guide to get you started. Drink your body weight, divided by two, in ounces.<\/p>\n
So if you weigh 150 pounds \u2014 that would be 150 divided by 2, which equals 75. That\u2019s 75 ounces of water you should be drinking every day.<\/p>\n
Some people \u2014 athletes or those who engage in frequent high-intensity exercise, for example \u2014 might need more water than that.<\/p>\n
According to Tamara Hew-Butler, D.P.M., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M., associate professor of Exercise Science at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, \u201cthe amount of fluid that an active person needs varies widely, which is why blanket ranges should be a thing of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
The main factors to consider, she explained, are your size (smaller athletes need less); exercise intensity (the greater the intensity, the greater amount of metabolic heat produced, and the more water you lose through sweat); and the ambient temperature (the hotter it is, the more you sweat and the more water you lose).<\/p>\n
Because, she says, since the intensity of your workout varies and temperature is constantly changing, it\u2019s hard to provide an acceptable range of fluid intake for every body.<\/p>\n
Luckily, says Hew-Butler, \u201call mammals have an individualized, real-time, fluid monitor in their brains called an osmosensor that monitors fluid and sodium balance in the blood constantly.<\/p>\n
When the body needs water, thirst is triggered to bring water back into the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
This finely-tuned system responds in seconds to the need to re-hydrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrink when thirsty. It is as simple as that!\u201d she says. \u201cThis is your best hydration strategy. The thirst mechanism is an evolutionary-conserved mechanism to protect against scarcity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trick for people like my wife is to become more in tune with the hydration and satiety needs of their bodies.<\/p>\n
When you only drink soda, juice, beer, coffee, or other flavored (and in most cases, caloric) fluids a few times a day, you can lose touch with your osmosensor.<\/p>\n
You might not recognize that first gentle sensation of thirst. The body weight formula can help get you better acquainted with your body\u2019s natural cues.<\/p>\n
Hew-Butler also notes that drinking too much water can be dangerous \u2014 although also extremely rare, mostly occurring in sodium-depleted endurance athletes and during fraternity hazing rituals.<\/p>\n
It can create a situation called exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), also known as \u201cwater intoxication.\u201d It\u2019s when you have low levels of sodium in the body during or up to 24 hours following physical activity.<\/p>\n
Too much water dilutes the body\u2019s sodium level, which is essential for normal functioning. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, and confusion or seizures, which result from swelling of the brain.<\/p>\n
Without speedy treatment, severe EAH can quickly be fatal.<\/p>\n
A 2015 statement put out by the Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference strongly\u00a0cautioned against drinking beyond thirst<\/a>\u00a0when engaging in exercise, especially during the hotter summer months.<\/p>\nSo, what did I learn from my water battles? Besides: Water is vital to optimal health, try to use thirst (or use our body weight formula) as your prompt to stay properly hydrated, and don\u2019t drink to excess during exercise?<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t think you know everything about anything. Science is constantly changing and challenging everyday notions about health and fitness.<\/p>\n
Keep your mind open and available to accept new knowledge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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