Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt is a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health and an assistant professor on the University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine.
One current weekend, I didn’t drink much whereas out within 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 noticed I used to be dehydrated. I drank two bottles of water over the following hour — and felt like myself once more. Hydration restored my physique’s steadiness.
We hear so much about every day water necessities, and like you, I goal to drink mine carrying reusable water bottles in each form, colour and measurement. What you won’t hear as much is that it’s not simply water in — it’s water out.
Patients, even these with no kidney stone points, at all times ask me, “How much water should I drink?” It’s some of the difficult questions 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 find out about growing a wholesome water behavior.
Water issues to your physique
Your physique is about 60% water. That fluid lives inside your cells, between them and within the bloodstream. It cushions organs and joints, carries important vitamins and hormones, clears waste and helps maintain your physique temperature in verify.
Water additionally works together with electrolytes, equivalent to sodium, potassium and chloride. They assist your muscle tissue contract, your nerves hearth and your blood stress 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 preserve steadiness. Blood turns into extra concentrated, the center should pump tougher, and the mind feels the pressure — fatigue, fuzzy considering, slower response time. Digestion also can decelerate since water helps transfer meals via the intestine.
On the flip facet, overhydrating with out sufficient sodium — particularly throughout endurance train — may be simply as harmful. It dilutes sodium within the blood, which may lead to confusion, nausea and in excessive circumstances, seizures. That’s why steadiness issues: Hydration isn’t just about water, however water and electrolytes working collectively.
Most folks instantly freak out when 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 at all times hit that quantity both. That’s OK. The reality is, some folks need extra, and some need much less. And it may be tougher to do when you’re doing shift work or touring or dealing with another variety of causes.
The customary recommendation is about 3.7 liters or 125 ounces per day for many males and 2.7 liters or 92 ounces per day for most girls — from all sources, not simply glasses of water, in accordance to the National Academy of Medicine, previously the Institute of Medicine. Roughly 20% of that sometimes comes from meals. Think of those numbers as a place to begin, not a tough restrict.
Remember it’s additionally how much urine you produce: Urology guidelines recommend producing not less than 2.5 liters of urine a day to decrease stone recurrence.
Water wants rely in your physique measurement, exercise stage, the local weather you reside in and even the drugs you take. A one-size-fits-all quantity doesn’t exist. That’s why I like the straightforward “urine color check” greater than counting ounces.
Now have 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 some meals can change the shade, and your first pee of the morning will virtually at all times be darker — that’s regular.
If you need to go deeper into what urine colour, 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 an extended exercise, you have 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 greatest — about 8 ounces each 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t exceed 48 ounces (1.5 quarts) in an hour, or you danger dangerously low blood sodium. Think of this as a water marathon, not a dash.
Hydration is essential for urinary tract an infection prevention in each men and ladies. Want proof? In a randomized clinical trial of premenopausal ladies inclined to recurrent UTIs, those that elevated their water consumption by about 1.5 liters every day skilled 1.7 infections over a 12 months, in contrast with 3.2 within the management group — a virtually 50% discount. They additionally required fewer antibiotics (1.9 programs versus 3.6).
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 typically drank too much plain water, not too little. If you’re operating lengthy distances within the warmth, mix water with salt — via sports activities drinks or salty meals.
If you have power situations equivalent to kidney illness or coronary heart failure, be further cautious. Your physique won’t deal with massive fluid hundreds nicely. In these circumstances, consuming extreme quantities can overload your system, inflicting swelling, shortness of breath or harmful electrolyte imbalances. For these people, fluid consumption objectives ought to at all times be tailor-made along with your physician’s steerage.
Plain water is good, however it’s not the one manner to meet your hydration wants. Coffee and tea depend for normal caffeine shoppers. In reality, managed research present that average espresso hydrates about in addition to water. Alcohol does the alternative — drawing fluid out.
Regarding the various forms of water at shops — alkaline, spring, reverse osmosis, “structured” water — most are advertising and marketing gimmicks, not medical necessities. Your kidneys don’t care in case your water is from a mountain spring or your faucet filtered at house. What issues is consistency, not branding. If a selected sort encourages you to drink extra as a result of you just like the style, that’s high quality. 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. Just a few drops of taste enhancers — equivalent to squeezable sweeteners present in grocery aisles — also can make water extra pleasurable. The greatest water is the one you will truly drink all through the day.
For prolonged, sweaty actions, add electrolytes or salty meals to substitute sodium together with water. For on a regular basis life and average train, water plus a balanced weight-reduction plan is normally adequate.
It’s the identical considering with water bottles: The “best” water bottle is the one you’ll use. If a particular model 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.
For me, consuming water has to match into my every day 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 continuously transferring between sufferers, however I make up for it throughout lunch and on the drive house. I additionally devour two to three protein shakes a day. They remind me that fluids come from extra than simply water bottles.
We typically take into consideration water solely throughout emergencies — equivalent to hurricanes or warmth waves with empty retailer cabinets. But the true success lies in making hydration a every day behavior, not a panic-buying response.
Set a sensible baseline, monitor your urine, adjust as wanted, and respect warmth and activity-related limits. Simple, constant habits maintain you hydrated — and that’s the plan I observe.
And sure — as I end penning this, I’m consuming from a water bottle I picked up on the NCS memento store. Proof that typically, the most effective hydration plan is the one you’ll stick to — even when it has a emblem.