Your body needs water to function, and it doesn’t stop when the weather starts to cool down in the fall and winter. But exactly how much water should you drink each day?
You’ve probably heard the “8 by 8” rule, which says you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. However, according to Renee Fitton, a registered dietitian and director of education for nutritional technology company L-Nutra , “the 8 by 8 rule may be a bit oversimplified for some, but it’s not necessarily dangerous either.”
This is what experts say is the amount of water you should actually drink each day.
How much water should you drink each day?
Fitton says that various factors influence the amount of water needed each day, including body size, medications, gender, physical activity, climate, health status, and altitude.
Most of us are also familiar with the old adage: drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. The eight-by-eight rule recommends that we drink 64 ounces (about 1.9 liters) of water every day. Many of us have blindly followed this advice our entire lives, unaware of its origins or the rationale behind the recommendation to drink eight glasses of water.
Apparently the eight-by-eight rule came out of nowhere, as there is no scientific evidence to support it. It’s just another one of those long-standing myths that people believe because everyone believes it. Drinking 64 ounces of water a day isn’t bad, but for some people it might be too much or not enough.
“For some people, simple rules like these help them stay on track. If drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day helps someone meet their hydration goals, then that’s a great starting point. But I wouldn’t call it the gold standard,” says Fitton.
There are other guidelines, but there is still no real consensus. There is no official recommendation for how much water people should drink each day, probably because everyone needs a different amount of water.
There is an “adequate water intake” for adult men and women, but it can vary from person to person. This adequate intake includes water from non-water beverages like milk, sports drinks, tea, and yes, even coffee . It also includes water from fruits, vegetables, and other foods (think about how much water goes into a bowl of oatmeal or soup).
An adequate intake is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 125 ounces) for the average man and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 91 ounces) for the average woman. How you choose to consume those 125 or 91 ounces of fluid is up to you. While this is the closest number we have to the recommended daily intake, even these numbers vary from person to person based on their health status.
Reasons why you might need to drink more water
You have an active job: Those who are active all day (especially people who work outdoors) may need more water than most people. The more you move, the more you sweat, and you should replace the water (and electrolytes) you lose through fluid intake.
If you work outside during a heat wave, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces (1 cup) of water every 15 to 20 minutes while working. Drinking water before and after work can help prevent dehydration.
Jūs bieži vingrojat: Ja jums nav aktīva darba, bet jūs daudz vingrojat – vai nu sporta zālē, vai arī ar atpūtas aktivitātēm -, jums ir nepieciešams arī vairāk ūdens nekā lielākajai daļai. Pat ja jūs to neapzināsit, fizisko aktivitāšu laikā jūs zaudējat daudz šķidruma (pat aukstā laikā). Paaugstiniet ūdens daudzumu, lai ņemtu vērā aktivitātes (īpaši ceļojuma aktivitātes).
Jūs dzīvojat karstā klimatā: Karstais laiks nozīmē palielinātu svīšanu un zaudētā šķidruma aizstāšanu ir svarīgi. Sausuma savienojumu šķidruma zudums karstā laikā – cilvēkiem tuksneša klimatā var būt nepieciešams vairāk ūdens nekā tropiskā klimatā.
Jūs esat stāvoklī vai baro bērnu ar krūti: Grūtniecēm ir nepieciešams vairāk ūdens, lai veicinātu uzlabotu cirkulāciju, palielinātu kaloriju daudzumu un citus fizioloģiskus procesus, kas atbalsta viņu mazuļa augšanu. Sievietēm, kas baro bērnu ar krūti, ir nepieciešams papildu ūdens Atbalstiet mātes piena ražošanuApvidū
Jūsu urīns ir tumšs iekšā Krāsa: Jūsu urīna krāsa var jums daudz ko pateikt par hidratācijas līmeni. “Jūsu urīna krāsa ir vislabākā un personalizētākā, konsekventākā un tūlītējā veida hidratācijas mērīšanai visas dienas garumā. Mēs vēlamies meklēt gaiši dzeltenu urinējumu, nav pilnībā dzidrs (pārāk hidratēts), bet arī nav dziļi dzeltens vai dzintars (zem hidratēts),” saka Fittons.
Jums ir sausa mute, saspringtas lūpas vai muskuļu krampji: Jā, kad jūs esat dehidrēts, jūsu ķermenis jums paziņos. “Ūdens ir tik kritiska dzīvības viela, tāpēc, kad mums trūkst, mūsu ķermenis vairs nedarbosies ar maksimālo spēju, un tas var saglabāties daudzos veidos un unikāli no vienas personas uz otru,” saka Fittons.
Hidratācijas uzlaušana, lai palīdzētu dzert vairāk ūdens
Dažādi cilvēki ievēro dažādus mitrināšanas noteikumus. Šīs četras parastās vadlīnijas var palīdzēt jums palikt hidratētām neatkarīgi no dzīvesveida.
Dzeriet, kad esat izslāpis
Ap šo metodi ir daži strīdi. Daži veselības aprūpes speciālisti saka jūs nevajadzētu pārmērīgi sarežģīt hidratāciju Un jūsu ķermenis jums saka, kad tam ir nepieciešams ūdens. Citi saka, ka gaida, kamēr tu esi izslāpis pārāk ilgi gaidot – ka jūs jau esat dehidrēts, kad jūtaties izslāpis. Šķiet, ka dažiem cilvēkiem ir spēcīgāki slāpes mehānismi nekā citiem, tāpēc šī metode var nedarboties jūsu labā.
Dzeriet glāzi pirms ēšanas un starp ēdienreizēm
Tas nav slikts padoms. Ūdens uzņemšanas strukturēšana ap rituālu, piemēram, ēdienreizēm, var iedziļināties hidratācijā kā ieradums. Jūsu kopējais ūdens daudzums mainīsies atkarībā no tā, cik ēdienu jūs ēdat. Ja jūs ēdat trīs ēdienreizes, jūs dzerat piecas glāzes ūdens saskaņā ar šo noteikumu, ar kuru var būt pietiekami (ja vien tās nav lielas glāzes). Šis noteikums, iespējams, nedarbosies jums, ja jums nav parastā ēšanas modeļa.
Drink eight glasses every day
Generic health advice rarely works for everyone. If you feel adequately hydrated on 64 ounces of water each day, then that amount is probably enough to keep you hydrated. If you feel overhydrated (clear urine, very frequent urination, or swelling), cut back a little. If you feel dehydrated (dark urine, headache, infrequent urination, lightheadedness, or fatigue), eight glasses may not be enough for you.
Drink half your body weight in ounces
This is a simple guideline that is easy to remember and usually easy to achieve. If you weigh 150 pounds, aim to drink 75 ounces of water each day. This is the only rule of thumb that accounts for different body sizes, but it doesn’t take into account thirst, climate, activity level, or other factors.
Make water visible and accessible
Fitton says having your water handy is a visual reminder to drink water at all times. She also recommends using an app like WaterMate , which sends reminders to drink water every day.
Pair your water intake with your daily habits
Another great way to get your daily water intake is to make drinking water part of your daily routine. This could look like drinking water when you wake up, after eating a meal, or right before you leave the house. “These mini habits build on things you already do, so you’re not trying to remember to do something new. The more you tie hydration into your daily routine, the easier it becomes,” says Fitton.
Experiment with hydration techniques to find what works for you. As long as you’re not struggling with chronic fatigue, lightheadedness, headaches, or other signs of dehydration, you’re probably doing a pretty good job. As an underachiever, you can always tell if you’re under or over-hydrated based on the color of your urine .
