How much WATER should I be drinking?
Did you know?
We all know that drinking water is essential to life, it makes up over 95% of brain and 82% of our blood, but most do not realize that water can be a critical factor in the way our body feels and its ability to heal.
- An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.
- Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue and muscle stiffness/ soreness.
How much is enough?
On an average day, the MINIMUM water intake is: your weight divided in half = amount of water intake in ounces per day.
Example: if you weigh 160 pounds, then you should be drinking at least 80 ounces of water throughout the day. (Hint: one Nalgene bottle=32 ounces)
We are always impressing the importance to our patients to drink more water and suggesting the right amounts that they should be drinking:
This calculation is true for the average day, but factors like:
| Normal WeatherNo exercise | Warm WeatherNo exercise | Warm WeatherExercise | |
| Skin (not sweat) | 350 ml | 350 ml | 350 ml |
| Sweat | 100 ml | 1400 ml | 5000 ml |
| Respiratory Tract | 250 ml | 350 ml | 650 ml |
| Urine | 1400 ml | 1200 ml | 500 ml |
| Faeces | 100 ml | 100 ml | 100 ml |
| Total | 2,300 ml (2.31) | 3,300 ml (3.31) | 6,600 ml (6.61) |
Now you do get water from your food and from metabolic water production (Google it), typically about 1.5L, so we suggest:
- Sedentary individuals drink at least 2L or about 8 cups of water per day
- Athletes in normal climates drink at least 3L or about 12 cups of water per day
- Athletes in hot weather climates drink at least 4L or about 16 cups of water per day.
