Nutrition Hydration... when is enough, enough?

[steve-in-kville]

How much water should an active male consume in a day? I drink water like a fish all day, keep a 28oz bottle on my nightstand and according to my records, I am consuming 1.5 gallon (about 5.8L) in a 24 hour period. And that is on a slow day. Every morning I wake up semi-parched even though I drank water through the night. For the record, I do take a good multi every day, so I can't see that my electo's are way off.

My wife thinks that my body is doing its own cleanse. I've had sinus issues all my life and my lungs have been amazingly clear the past few days. That said, I have been sweating at night which almost never happens.

Has anyone experienced this? Or is it normal for the body to do this when it feels needed? Thanks.

 

[Anna C]

That sounds like a lot, but it doesn't hurt anything. Mostly you can go by thirst. Your kidneys will get rid of whatever is excess.

Needing water throughout the night may be from mouth breathing. You might want to check out the work from James Nestor.

And if your thirst or water needs have changed recently for no apparent reason, you might want to visit your doctor.

Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Drink as much or little as you want. Your body will take care of the rest.

You might find this thread interesting (Edit: Oh, I see you started that thread also so I guess you've seen it!) :

Nutrition - Where do all the fluids go?

Some of the folks here are a lot more well read on these subjects than I am. I can easy drink two gallons of water a day, depending on my activity levels, outside temps, etc. Somedays I pee like a race horse and the next, hardly at all. I also keep a water bottle on my nightstand to keep...

www.strongfirst.com

 

[steve-in-kville]

That sounds like a lot, but it doesn't hurt anything. Mostly you can go by thirst. Your kidneys will get rid of whatever is excess.

Needing water throughout the night may be from mouth breathing. You might want to check out the work from James Nestor.

And if your thirst or water needs have changed recently for no apparent reason, you might want to visit your doctor.

Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Drink as much or little as you want. Your body will take care of the rest.

You might find this thread interesting (Edit: Oh, I see you started that thread also so I guess you've seen it!) :

Nutrition - Where do all the fluids go?

Some of the folks here are a lot more well read on these subjects than I am. I can easy drink two gallons of water a day, depending on my activity levels, outside temps, etc. Somedays I pee like a race horse and the next, hardly at all. I also keep a water bottle on my nightstand to keep...

www.strongfirst.com

Thanks- I honestly forgot about that thread!

I know some athletes go by the color of their urine, but one cup of coffee will throw that off, at least it did for me.

 

[Steve Freides]

How much water should an active male consume in a day?

Personally, I like to allow myself to become thirsty sometimes. Doing so is, on some level, training. E.g., I was out for a 5-mile walk yesterday, and the weather was pretty miserable, very high humidity, that kind we get here in the NE US where it just starts raining lightly from time to time simply because the air is _that_ humid. I didn't drink any water until about 3 miles into my walk, and then only some. Once I got home did I decide to more fully rehydrate. It just feels right to me to go about it this way.

-S-

 

[BJJ Shawn]

Personally, I like to allow myself to become thirsty sometimes. Doing so is, on some level, training. E.g., I was out for a 5-mile walk yesterday, and the weather was pretty miserable, very high humidity, that kind we get here in the NE US where it just starts raining lightly from time to time simply because the air is _that_ humid. I didn't drink any water until about 3 miles into my walk, and then only some. Once I got home did I decide to more fully rehydrate. It just feels right to me to go about it this way.

-S-

This is something I find Jiu Jitsu teaches as well. It’s about learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and I have met several coaches that try to have students limit their water intake during training. Not to the point of danger, but just not rushing to the water any time you feel the slightest bit thirsty.

 

[Brozneo]

Get your blood sugar tested to be safe - I'm a Type 1 diabetic and it can be an early symptom (body trying to reduce blood glucose by getting it out through the kidneys). I was drinking 20+ litres a day before I was diagnosed which was all coming out too!

 

[BrianCF]

If your pee is clear, you're drinking enough. This is complete overkill. The 75 Hard program, calls for drinking a gallon a day. Again, complete overkill.

I also agree with @Brozneo get checked.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

according to my records, I am consuming 1.5 gallon (about 5.8L) in a 24 hour period.

As per Anna...

That sounds like a lot, ...

It hard to imagine drinking the much water is a good thing. And that is on a slow day.

Mineral Deletion

"Over-hydration occurs when someone drinks too much water which affects our electrolytes. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and calcium) need to be in balance in order to maintain healthy blood, heart rhythm, muscle function and other important functions. Drinking too much water, can cause the electrolyte levels in the body to get out of whack and cause sodium levels plummet. The nerve and heart issues that occur with over-hydration can be deadly."

Are you over-hydrated? - Gundersen Health System

We all know the possible health problems brought on by being dehydrated, but can you ever be overhydrated?

www.gundersenhealth.org

And that is on a slow day.

Slow Day

So, you are usually consuming more than 1.5 gallon of water per day, which make no sense.

Something not right.

For the record, I do take a good multi every day, so I can't see that my electo's are way off.

Electrolytes

With the amount of water consumed daily, it most likely the minerals in your multi (who know what in that) are being eliminated.

You have no way of measuring or determine that so your right, you can't see it and you don't know.

Your body is trying to tell you something not right but you aren't listening

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

I have met several coaches that try to have students limit their water intake during training.

Heat Shock Proteins

This was partially covered in a previous post....

Kettlebell Acclimating to the heat (Post 3)

Kettlebell - Acclimating to the heat

Is becoming acclimated to the heat by working out in the heat a real thing or is working out indoors just as effective? Or put another way, if a person becomes well conditioned working out indoors, will that conditioning carry over to outdoor activities In the heat just as much as if the person...

www.strongfirst.com

Training in the heat in which some dehydration occurs elicits...

Heat Shock Proteins, HSP

HSPs are transiently elevated to facilitate the "chaperoning" of amino acids to the site of muscle damage to initiate recovery.

Actually, a more appropriate name for them is "Stress Shock Proteins". That because training stress triggers presses these protein into action.

The name of Heat Shock Protein evolved due to discover when heat, a increase in body temperature occurred. Additional research determined intense training pompts them into action.

Secondly, Heat Shock Protein sound cooler than Stress Shock Protein. Who want to be stressed out?

Not to the point of danger, but just not rushing to the water any time you feel the slightest bit thirsty.

Limiting Water Intake

Limiting water during a training session will trigger Heat Shock Protein to some degree and elicit a training effect.

However, limiting water intake and becoming slightly dehydrated also decrease strength, power and endurance.

This was covered in another post, regarding the "Superhydration Cell Voluminizing" effects of Creatine, Carb Loading, etc.

With that in mind, in a even a slightly dehydrate state, the intensity of the training session need to lowered.

 

[silveraw]

As per Anna...



It hard to imagine drinking the much water is a good thing. And that is on a slow day.

Mineral Deletion

"Over-hydration occurs when someone drinks too much water which affects our electrolytes. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and calcium) need to be in balance in order to maintain healthy blood, heart rhythm, muscle function and other important functions. Drinking too much water, can cause the electrolyte levels in the body to get out of whack and cause sodium levels plummet. The nerve and heart issues that occur with over-hydration can be deadly."

Are you over-hydrated? - Gundersen Health System

We all know the possible health problems brought on by being dehydrated, but can you ever be overhydrated?

www.gundersenhealth.org

Slow Day

So, you are usually consuming more than 1.5 gallon of water per day, which make no sense.

Something not right.



Electrolytes

With the amount of water consumed daily, it most likely the minerals in your multi (who know what in that) are being eliminated.

You have no way of measuring or determine that so your right, you can't see it and you don't know.

Your body is trying to tell you something not right but you aren't listening

Not to add more doom and gloom to this, but another thing to look for is Water Intoxication.

"Water intoxication provokes disturbances in electrolyte balance, resulting in a rapid decrease in serum sodium concentration and eventual death. The development of acute dilutional hyponatraemia causes neurological symptoms because of the movement of water into the brain cells, in response to the fall in extracellular osmolality. Symptoms can become apparent when the serum sodium falls below 120 mmol/litre, but are usually associated with concentrations below 110 mmol/litre. Severe symptoms occur with very low sodium concentrations of 90–105 mmol/litre. As the sodium concentration falls, the symptoms progress from confusion to drowsiness and eventually coma."

It is sometimes fatal when people drink more than 5L of water within a few hours. Victims report drinking glass after glass of water and still feel thirsty.

It is something that military doctors saw a lot in boot camps in the 90s before they revised their rehydration guidelines.

 

[Steve Freides]

@silveraw, this has happened at marathon foot races as well, and I think even track races sometimes.

-S-

 

[PeterLuffman]

That is an absurd amount to drink every day. I'd be looking at your salt intake (or electrolytes). It seems like you're not absorbing much of this water.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

@silveraw, this has happened at marathon foot races as well, and I think even track races sometimes.

-S-

Yes, more deaths in the long races from hyponatremia than dehydration.

 

[offwidth]

Yes, more deaths in the long races from hyponatremia than dehydration.

Maybe. But more poor performance and dropping out because of dehydration. The key is to hydrate the right amount.

 

[Eyetic]

Get your blood sugar tested to be safe - I'm a Type 1 diabetic and it can be an early symptom (body trying to reduce blood glucose by getting it out through the kidneys). I was drinking 20+ litres a day before I was diagnosed which was all coming out too!

Same here...I used to beat my friends at school (11yo) in water drinking contests....silly me I didn't know I was about to get diagnosed with t1 diabetes...wth