Drinking water - how much?

[reneeh63]

I've had a few doctors tell me to drink more water. But I don't remember if they told me how much to drink.

I usually don't drink more than 20 oz of water a day.

How many ounces of water do the folks here average per day? I saw online that men should drink 125 ounces and women should drink 91.

This is not really accurate - lots of "estimates" are based on little or no science. Remember that you get liquids in the food you eat and other beverages count and those count as part of your total.

Did the doctor cite lab tests on creatine or BUN? Or just a generic "you need to drink more"? Get some specifics from HIM.

You likely COULD stand to drink more but it can be tea, coffee, flavored water, etc. as long as it doesn't give you a lot of calories from sugar/carbs. Just try drinking a couple "extra" 12 oz. glasses a day - say an extra glass in the morning and the afternoon in addition to your meals and other stuff. Don't go crazy and think you need to drink an extra gallon and just give up (that's a crazy amount and may damage your kidneys and mess with your electrolytes - more is not always better!).

 

[Toast]

DH and I each use a 32oz stainless steel water bottle. We each fill ours 3-4 times a day so anywhere between 96 and 128oz per day.

 

[Dash man]

My Nephrologist tells me to drink 60oz of water per day, not counting coffee or soda of any kind. I keep a 20oz Yeti cup next to me most days, refilling when needed.

 

[Mark1]

This thread got me curious enough to look what my "Textbook of Medical Physiology" by Guyton and Hall said on the subject (needed something to read in the 2020, during COVID). I'm a little surprised by the "normal levels" quoted. Also, I didn't see the any optimal number quoted.

Intake of Water
Normal intake from fluids and food = 2.1 liters/day (~71 oz)
Normal production from oxidation of carbs = 0.2 liters/day
Total 2.3 liter/day

Loss of Water
Insensible loss by diffusion through the skin (not sweating) = ~300-400 ml/day
Insensible loss by respiratory tract = ~300-400 ml/day
Sweat = 100 ml/day (but up to 5 liters/day with prolonged, heavy exercise)
Feces = 100 ml/day
Urine = 1.4 liters/day
Total 2.3 liters/day

Obviously intake and output have to balance over the long term.

 

[Walt34]

Any recommendation to drink X amount of water per day can’t be correct, there are too many variables – temperature, activity level, diet, body mass, specific health issues to mention a few.

That's been my take on it too so I just go by urine color and a sense of how much I've been exercising and drinking fluids. At one extreme, in high school working outside in the summer I'd easily drink a gallon+ of water in eight hours and pee once in that time period. (I brought a one gallon cooler to work with me and I'd normally empty it.) Clearly I wasn't drinking too much then. But it would be way too much for me now.

 

[HGTVFanatic]

20 ounces all day sounds incredibly low. I think my water requirements are not normal though. I don’t go anywhere without a large water bottle and a spare in the truck. I also drink a large amount of hot tea if I’m home. I wish I wasn’t like this but a doctor is never going to tell me to drink more water.

 

[aaronc879]

64oz on a typical winter day. Closer to 100 if hot an active. 20 is crazy low.

 

[georgemoe]

The wife and I got Iron Flask bottles and tumblers this year. I fill my 24oz bottle roughly 3 times a day. Add to that the two cups of coffee each morning. I don't drink juice and stopped drinking soda a few years ago. After a sweaty run in the summer I may add to Gatorade powder to my bottle.

 

[Rianne]

I'll mention this since I don't think most people know this can happen. I took a friend to the emergency room because they drank too much water. They fell to t the ground, maybe passed out, and were very confused, but luckily managed to call me or they might have died. They had to have a temporary pace maker installed to keep heart rate up.

I had to look this up. I cannot imagine drinking 4-16oz bottles in 20 minutes.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/...eaks-after-35-year-woman-dies-water-102016903

 

[braumeister]

I had to look this up. I cannot imagine drinking 4-16oz bottles in 20 minutes.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/...eaks-after-35-year-woman-dies-water-102016903

Hyponatremia (diluting your body's salts too much with excessive water intake) is well known among distance runners. Stopping and chugging at every water stop during a race has led to real problems many times. Most are aware of it these days and manage to judiciously monitor their water consumption, but it still happens among inexperienced runners.

 

[jollystomper]

I drink a least a liter (a little less than 34) ounces of plain water a day, then at least twice that much via other non-carbonated decaffeinated drinks (hot tea, iced tea, powdered drinks, smoothies, all added sugar free). I use the "urine test" posted earlier to monitor my hydration level. During heavy activity days I drink more water.

One thing I do to ensure I drink enough water is to drink water with my meals instead of any other beverage. That can also save money when eating out .

 

[MarieIG]

I tend to be a thirsty person so I keep a beverage handy and sip. (Tea, coffee or water.)

 

[CardsFan]

I remember almost the same thing from my old Boy Scout Handbook (of course without the beer reference)

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Vitamins, nutritional supplements, medications and some health conditions can all affect urine color.

 

[Dtail]

Because of Pickleball, about 80 oz in the winter and 150 oz in the summer.

 

[rk911]

I usually go thru at least two 24-oz water bottles each day. I'm 73.

 

[euro]

^^^^^^^
I believe that this is the best way to assess your liquid intake. The 8oz, or 15oz, or 8 glasses or whatever rules have been largely debunked. For most people, the "drink when you are thirsty" rule is fine, but the urine color is an even better way. To borrow a phrase: YMMV .....

 

[aaronc879]

^^^^^^^
I believe that this is the best way to assess your liquid intake. The 8oz, or 15oz, or 8 glasses or whatever rules have been largely debunked. For most people, the "drink when you are thirsty" rule is fine, but the urine color is an even better way. To borrow a phrase: YMMV .....

"Drink when you're thirsty" is bad advice. If you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.

 

[braumeister]

Last time I was in the Grand Canyon, one of the guides recommended the rule of three Cs to avoid dehydration.

Your urine should be clear, colorless, and copious.

 

[sailor]

Ehh - water drinking is propaganda
But if you were exposed to it for a long time, maybe it becomes a metabolic necessity?
I'm fine just drinking two cups of tea per day (passes urine color test)
But DW and all my kids carry water bottles with them, refilling them multiple times a day.
I was looking for medical studies of how much is really needed, but as usual too many variables to get to a good value.
Nevertheless https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
shows that US vs. Europe water consumption per day is much higher:

There are a few studies in the US and Europe that utilize 24-hour urine and serum osmolality measures to determine total water turnover and this measure of hydration status. These studies suggest that US adults consume over 2100 ml of water per day while those from Europe consume less than a half liter or more.4, 11

 

[Rustic23]

4 - 16.5 bottles of water a day.

 

[meleana]

About 64 ounces, not including tea and diet soda.

 

[KarenF]

My doctor says the rule is to drink half an ounce of water for each pound of body weight and coffee does not count.

 

[GaryInCO]

I thought this was VERY interesting:

This thread got me curious enough to look what my "Textbook of Medical Physiology" by Guyton and Hall said on the subject ...
Intake of Water
Normal intake from fluids and food = 2.1 liters/day (~71 oz)
Normal production from oxidation of carbs = 0.2 liters/day
Total 2.3 liter/day

So that says intake from fluids AND FOODS should be only 71oz. By that measure, even 2 liters of actual water/fluids is probably a lot more than you should need.

That makes sense to me. I've never drunk as much as you're "supposed" to. I often drink only 1/2 liter on a multi-hour hike in dry Colorado. It's not unusual for me to pee at the "Amber" level, but (other than hikes/etc) seldom beyond that.

So I don't see any need to pound more water. I LIKE never having to get up in the middle of the night!!

 

[karen1972]

about 80-120 oz a day of water. I make up 64 oz of plain water each day infused with some frozen fruit that I consume each day and then I drink plain water from 7PM to 8AM and thats usually 32 oz. Plus usually some soda stream fizzed with flavored drops.

I was always told half your body weight in ounces would be a good start. so a 150lb person would be 75 oz and then more if its hot, your aggressively exercising, etc.