“You’re addicted to water.”

That’s what a client told me after my third sip from a nearly empty water bottle.

We were talking about daily water intake (a topic of conversation that always makes me thirsty) and the importance of hydration.  I can leave most nutrition topics open for negotiation, but not drinking water.  Considering your blood and muscle is mostly water, drinking more of it is probably the easiest way to improve how your body functions.

So, I may be “guilty as charged” for my “addiction” to the compound that makes up most of my body. But I wasn’t always this way…

The first health-oriented goal I ever set for myself was cutting out soda.

It was the summer before college and, though I knew next to nothing about health and fitness, I figured dropping my usual 7-10 Cokes a week would help with the whole “freshman 15” thing.

For about 4 months, the only beverage I drank was water. Well, that may not be entirely true, but at least I wasn’t having soda…

On Thanksgiving Day, I decided to pop a tab and break the streak.

It was like drinking syrupy gasoline.

Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I had definitely lost my taste for soda.

Over time, my habit of drinking plain ‘ol water grew with my habit of consistent exercise until I guesstimate I was drinking 100 oz water per day.

*I measure liquid in ounces.  We all know what 12oz looks like, but I still don’t know exactly how much is in a cup.*

After reading about how MMA fighters use water manipulation to make weight, I decided to experiment with increased water intake and pass on the dehydrating “flush” phase.

I figured if those guys get by with quadrupling daily water intake to 4+ gallons, I should be ok with doubling mine to about 1.5 gallons (200oz).

I added an extra bottle or two until I hit and maintained 1.5 gallons.

Honestly, I felt great.  Hunger and cravings were notably down while energy and focus notably up.

These results were no doubt temporary but it showed me I had some room to grow with my hydration.  These days I tend to drink between 150 – 175oz.

While I don’t make the blanket recommendation that everybody should adhere to my numbers, I would suggest making small increases over time and note how you feel.  Chances are likely that it’ll do your body good.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Relying on thirst alone to regulate water intake tends to be a bad idea as thirst isn’t perceived until dehydration is already underway.

With that, here are two ways to estimate your needs:

1) If you know your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn at “rest”), drink 3.5 oz for every 100 calories.  For example, a BMR of 2000 calories would require about 70 oz of water.

2)  Based on weight – drink about 1.3 oz water per kilogram (2.2lbs) of bodyweight.

200 lbs = 120 oz / 175 lbs = 105 oz / 150 lbs = 90 oz

Of course, these are just ideas to start with.  I’ve encountered very few people who routinely meet and exceed these numbers.

How Much Is Too Much Water?

“But don’t you know that water can kill you!?”

That’s what I get every time I mention the water experiment. I find it ironic that I’d probably get less flack for drinking a six pack of beer in a night (72 oz) than for drinking twice that amount in water over a whole day.

In any case, yes – hyponatremia (too much water with too little sodium) is possible and very dangerous.  Though rare, it may happen in the context of long endurance exercise with low electrolytes.

Hydration Strategies

1) Start by monitoring your intake over the course of a few days.  Note any patterns or stretches of time that you go without water.  Then start to fill in those gaps.

2) Front-load your water and set a goal to hit 60% of your total by lunchtime. That way you don’t get home late and find yourself chugging before bed.

<—- 2.5) Make time-based hash marks on your water jug.

3) Buy 3 water bottles – one for home, one for work, one for the car.

4) Morning habit – fill a glass and leave it out the night before. Drink it within 15 minutes of waking up.

Chances are, you will naturally want to drink more after a few days as your tolerance for thirst lowers.  That’s what happened with the aforementioned client.  Now he’s hooked too…