How much water do you need—and can you drink too much?

By Barbara Gutierrez
University of Miami

Water.

It is essential to support life.

Water is one of the simplest, most accessible ways we have to support good health. Because the human body is made up of roughly 60 percent water, staying hydrated is essential for almost every biological function, from regulating temperature to transporting nutrients.

Although it has become trendy to carry emotional support water bottles, many go without the recommended daily amount of water. In the United States, about 10,000 deaths annually are related to severe dehydration.

Elizabeth Granado, an athletic trainer with UHealth – University of Miami Health System – shared information about the importance of water consumption.

How much water do we need to drink daily?

There is no single correct amount of water that an adult should be drinking. There are general guidelines: women should drink about 2.7 liters (about 91 ounces) per day, and men should drink about 3.7 liters per day (about 125 ounces). But this is all inclusive of all water. It includes tea, juice, coffee, and all those kinds of things.

So, the simple rule is to drink when you are thirsty and adjust to this depending on how much you sweat or how much you are exercising or the heat you are exposed to. You also want your urine to be pale yellow. And that is a good indicator of how hydrated you are.

How does this apply to children?

In the case of children, it goes down to 1.9 liters—about 64 ounces—per day.

Is there a danger of drinking too much water?

If you drink too much water in a short amount of time, you can give yourself water intoxication or hyponatremia, which means that the excess water is diluting the sodium in your blood. We need sodium for neuro functions and fluid balance. This can cause your cells to swell up and burst, and you can start suffering from light headaches, nausea and confusion, seizures, and in severe cases people can become comatose.

What are electrolytes and what role do they play in the body?

Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry a charge. These charges help regulate different physiological systems within the body. It affects the balancing of fluids in the cells and how liquid moves in and out of the cells, signaling the nerves for different actions that we want them to perform, including muscle actions, including the heart.

When we lose electrolytes, how does the body react?

When you don’t have electrolytes, your body systems will start to deteriorate. You will be thirsty, have dry mouth, fatigue, and it can develop into more serious effects like rapid heartbeat, confusion, and you can stop producing urine altogether, which is a very dangerous thing.

What are some of the symptoms of dehydration?

Symptoms of dehydration include feeling very thirsty, confused; your urine is darker yellow in color, and you may get a headache and get dizzy.

What should we do when we realize that we are becoming dehydrated? 

Start drinking water and include electrolytes because that is what we need for the body’s functions to continue to operate. There are drinks that have electrolytes such as Pedialyte and Gatorade. Eating a banana is good because it is a great source of potassium, which is a great source of electrolytes. Salt tablets can also provide electrolytes in a fast manner.

Should we drink water before or after exercising?

You should do both. Drink water one to two hours before the activity—a cup to two cups of water, more or less. You don’t want to be bloated. If your activity is more than 30 minutes, you should be drinking some liquid during the activity, and then after exercising, you want to replenish the fluids that you lost. So drinking water after exercise is also important.

What are some of the alternatives to water that one can take to remain hydrated?

Fruits and vegetables. The fruits with the highest water concentration are the melons, including watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and strawberries. Some citrus fruits have a high water concentration as well as pineapples and grapes. As far as vegetables, they include cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, celery, cabbage, and tomatoes also have a high water concentration.

Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff

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