How much water should I drink every day?

Answers (5)

Dr. Andrea Ruman, MD (Internist) answered (1/7/2011)

The average person needs to replace approximately 10 cups of fluid (2.5 liters) per day. (The average urine output for adults is about 6 cups, or 1.5 liters, per day. And people lose close to an additional 4 cups, or 1 liter, of water daily through breathing, sweating and bowel movements.)

Since food accounts for about 20 percent of your total fluid intake, this means you need to consume about 8 eight-ounce glasses of water or other beverages a day to be fully hydrated.

If you're exercising, you'll need to consume more water. For workouts under an hour, you'll likely need an extra 1 to 3 cups of water. Intense exercise lasting more than an hour requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, and the duration and type of exercise.

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Catherine Theodorou MS, RD, CSSD, LDN (Registered Dietitian and Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics) answered (6/28/2012)

The Institute of Medicine has given us guidelines around fluid intake. They recommend that a healthy adult consume approximately three liters (13 cups) of total liquids a day for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total liquids a day for women. Our food, especially fruits and vegetables, contain water which helps keeps us hydrated. These guidelines don't take into account environmental factors such as heat, humidity or altitude. It also doesn't take into account exercise. The goal of drinking fluids during exercise is to prevent dehydration, but you don’t want to drink more than your sweat rate. While exercising, drink fluids regularly. Hot, humid weather conditions or heavy sweaters will have to take in fluids more often. A good rule to remember is to drink fluids every 10-20 minutes during exercise. You could also weigh yourself before and after exercise to get a sense of how much fluid you lose from sweat. The key is to replace water loss. This can be done by drinking 16 - 24 oz. of fluid for every one pound of body weight lost during exercise. Each person's fluid needs is different. Following your own hydration plan whether you exercise or not is key.

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Katie Humphrey, CPT (Certified Personal Trainer, Health & Empowerment Coach) answered (1/7/2011)

You should be drinking filtered water until your urine is a pale yellow or clear, which will ensure you're drinking enough.

Water gives you energy as it hydrates the cells and allows the organs to function optimally. It also flushes toxins from the body and encourages a healthy digestive system.

Drinking water is also related to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight, because water will keep your metabolism high. When your body detects that you are dehydrated, it will naturally slow your metabolism to protect you.

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Diana T. Seo (Licensed Aesthetician) answered (9/27/2012)

Staying hydrated is crucial. Usually it is recommended to drink about six or eight 8-ounce glasses of water everyday. But should be customized according to how healthy and how active you are. The weather conditions also have an impact on your water consumption. Our cells are made up of two thirds of water so it is a necessary component in keeping our health optimized. Try to carry a bottle of water with you at all times and eat a good portion of fruit and vegetables. The key thing to remember is to maintain balance.

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Meg W answered (7/1/2012)

I also find the more water I drink, the better my skin looks.

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