By Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, NCS
(NCS) — One latest weekend, I didn’t drink a lot whereas out in the solar. That Monday morning, after seven hours of sleep, I nonetheless felt exhausted. I used to be irritable, moody and unfocused.
My first intuition was espresso, which solely made me jittery. Then I spotted I used to be dehydrated. I drank two bottles of water over the subsequent hour — and felt like myself once more. Hydration restored my physique’s steadiness.
We hear a lot about daily water necessities, and such as you, I goal to drink mine carrying reusable water bottles in each form, shade and dimension. What you won’t hear as a lot is that it’s not simply water in — it’s water out.
Patients, even these with no kidney stone points, all the time ask me, “How much water should I drink?” It’s one of the vital difficult inquiries to reply as a result of there’s no one-size-fits-all. As a urologist — and as a kidney stone affected person in restoration, I stress this recommendation: The aim isn’t ounces in, it’s urine out. Here’s what else to learn about creating a wholesome water behavior.
Water issues to your physique
Your physique is about 60% water. That fluid lives inside your cells, between them and in the bloodstream. It cushions organs and joints, carries important vitamins and hormones, clears waste and helps hold your physique temperature in verify.
Water additionally works in conjunction with electrolytes, similar to sodium, potassium and chloride. They assist your muscular tissues contract, your nerves hearth and your blood strain keep balanced. If water consumption falls behind losses, electrolyte concentrations can shift. That’s why dehydration can present up as muscle cramps, dizziness and even an irregular heartbeat.
When you’re even mildly dehydrated — as I used to be that weekend — the physique has to work tougher to take care of steadiness. Blood turns into extra concentrated, the guts should pump tougher, and the mind feels the pressure — fatigue, fuzzy considering, slower response time. Digestion may also decelerate since water helps transfer meals by the intestine.
On the flip facet, overhydrating with out sufficient sodium — particularly throughout endurance train — might be simply as harmful. It dilutes sodium in the blood, which may result in confusion, nausea and in excessive circumstances, seizures. That’s why steadiness issues: Hydration isn’t just about water, however water and electrolytes working collectively.
How a lot water do you really want?
Most folks instantly freak out after I recommend about eight to 10 glasses of water a day. That’s as a result of they notice they’re nowhere shut. And to be sincere, until I’m actively paying consideration, I don’t all the time hit that quantity both. That’s OK. The fact is, some folks want extra, and a few want much less. And it may be tougher to do while you’re doing shift work or touring or dealing with every other variety of causes.
The normal recommendation is about 3.7 liters or 125 ounces per day for many males and a couple of.7 liters or 92 ounces per day for most ladies — from all sources, not simply glasses of water, in line with the National Academy of Medicine, previously the Institute of Medicine. Roughly 20% of that sometimes comes from meals. Think of those numbers as a start line, not a exhausting restrict.
Remember it’s additionally how a lot urine you produce: Urology guidelines recommend producing no less than 2.5 liters of urine a day to decrease stone recurrence.
Water wants rely on your physique dimension, exercise degree, the local weather you reside in and even the drugs you are taking. A one-size-fits-all quantity doesn’t exist. That’s why I like the easy “urine color check” greater than counting ounces.
A easy self-check for hydration standing
Now take a look at your urine. Yes, actually. Aim for pale yellow all through the day. Medium to darkish yellow normally means you’re behind. Vitamins and a few meals can change the shade, and your first pee of the morning will virtually all the time be darker — that’s regular.
If you wish to go deeper into what urine shade, readability and even odor can reveal about your well being, I wrote about it here.
Some days name for extra water: when it’s sizzling or humid, you’re doing a lengthy exercise, you have got a fever, you’re nauseous or have diarrhea, you’re doing high-altitude journey or consuming a salty meal.
In the warmth, regular sipping is finest — about 8 ounces each 15 to twenty minutes. Don’t exceed 48 ounces (1.5 quarts) in an hour, otherwise you danger dangerously low blood sodium. Think of this as a water marathon, not a dash.
Hydration is vital for urinary tract an infection prevention in each men and ladies. Want proof? In a randomized clinical trial of premenopausal ladies vulnerable to recurrent UTIs, those that elevated their water consumption by about 1.5 liters daily skilled 1.7 infections over a yr, in contrast with 3.2 in the management group — a almost 50% discount. They additionally required fewer antibiotics (1.9 programs versus 3.6).
Drinking an excessive amount of water might be harmful
Overhydration — particularly throughout endurance actions — can dangerously dilute blood sodium, a situation often known as exercise-associated hyponatremia. Marathon runners collapsing on the end line usually drank an excessive amount of plain water, not too little. If you’re working lengthy distances in the warmth, mix water with salt — by sports activities drinks or salty meals.
If you have got persistent situations similar to kidney illness or coronary heart failure, be further cautious. Your physique won’t deal with giant fluid masses nicely. In these circumstances, ingesting extreme quantities can overload your system, inflicting swelling, shortness of breath or harmful electrolyte imbalances. For these people, fluid consumption objectives ought to all the time be tailor-made with your physician’s steerage.
What kind of water is finest?
Plain water is good, but it surely’s not the one technique to meet your hydration wants. Coffee and tea depend for normal caffeine customers. In truth, managed research present that reasonable espresso hydrates about in addition to water. Alcohol does the other — drawing fluid out.
Regarding the numerous varieties of water at shops — alkaline, spring, reverse osmosis, “structured” water — most are advertising and marketing gimmicks, not medical necessities. Your kidneys don’t care if your water is from a mountain spring or your faucet filtered at dwelling. What issues is consistency, not branding. If a explicit kind encourages you to drink extra since you just like the style, that’s positive. But don’t really feel pressured to pay further for gimmicks.
If plain water isn’t your factor, add a squeeze of lemon or fruit slices. A number of drops of taste enhancers — similar to squeezable sweeteners discovered in grocery aisles — may also make water extra gratifying. The finest water is the one you’ll really drink all through the day.
For prolonged, sweaty actions, add electrolytes or salty meals to switch sodium together with water. For on a regular basis life and reasonable train, water plus a balanced weight loss program is normally enough.
It’s the identical considering with water bottles: The “best” water bottle is the one you’ll use. If a particular type or gadget encourages you to drink extra, that’s nice. But don’t let advertising and marketing persuade you that the container issues greater than the behavior. Keep it easy — simply drink.
My private hydration routine
For me, ingesting water has to suit into my daily routine. Between surgical procedures, I seize a glass of water — if I’ve seven circumstances, that’s seven built-in breaks to hydrate. In the clinic, I drink much less as a result of I’m continually shifting between sufferers, however I make up for it throughout lunch and on the drive dwelling. I additionally devour two to a few protein shakes a day. They remind me that fluids come from extra than simply water bottles.
We usually take into consideration water solely throughout emergencies — similar to hurricanes or warmth waves with empty retailer cabinets. But the true success lies in making hydration a daily behavior, not a panic-buying response.
Set a life like baseline, monitor your urine, modify as wanted, and respect warmth and activity-related limits. Simple, constant habits hold you hydrated — and that’s the plan I observe.
And sure — as I end scripting this, I’m ingesting from a water bottle I picked up on the NCS memento store. Proof that typically, the very best hydration plan is the one you’ll stick to — even when it has a emblem.
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