How much water should I drink a day?

redddraggon
redddraggon Posts: 10,862
edited November 2009 in Training, fitness and health
Most sources seem say at least 2L of water/drink/fluid a day.

However, how much is too much? Will I just Urinate more if I drink too much?

In the office I'm drinking upto 3L water a day, and then coffees/drink when I'm at home. I'm mainly drinking water because I'm starving, and drinking water momentarily staves off the hunger sensations. Is this a good plan?
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Comments

  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Advice I was given was to drink enough so that when you're going to the toilet it's clear.
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  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    Advice I was given was to drink enough so that when you're going to the toilet it's clear.

    It's definitely clear.

    I'm going to urinate roughly every 30mins, it's a good job the toilet is only just down the corridor.
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  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    Every 30mins might be a bit much, as I've been told you can drink too much water.

    When at Uni I went through a phase where I was going to the loo every 10mins!! And that was nothing to do with Alcohol!!
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Consequences of drinking WAY too much water.

    Peeing every 30 mins to me suggests you're drinking more than you really need to.
    More problems but still living....
  • Allez Mark
    Allez Mark Posts: 364
    You're going to the toilet every 30 mins?

    Are you taking the pi$$ :D
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    If he's peeing on work time. let him get on with it!
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

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  • DaSy
    DaSy Posts: 599
    I fill my day at work with a combination of getting a drink, drinking it and then going to the toilet. I may surf the net too...
    Complicating matters since 1965
  • mask of sanity
    mask of sanity Posts: 610
    If drinking is stopping you feel hungry then I would say it's a good thing that you're drinking. The sensation of thirst is really weak and often mistaken for hunger so it probably means you were slightly dehydrated rather then hungry. Saying that, water is very toxic So don't over do it!!!

    Also, drinking and peeing a lot is often a symptom of diabetes...
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    The water fountain is also next to the toilet, so when I go for a p!ss I take a bottle with me :lol:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    If he's peeing on work time. let him get on with it!

    Well, I'm doing a PhD, and there's not much going on at the moment, with them having temporarily shut down the equipment I need. So I'm largely just trying to entertain myself, and that's when I get the nibbles normally. When I'm thoroughly engaged doing something, rather than sitting in front of a PC, I generally don't crave eating something.

    The reason why I'm drinking the water, is to feed my crave of consuming something, rather than going to the vending machines and get a mars bars or something. I'm not actually that thirsty TBH.

    Drinking water is supposed to improve concentration too, but with this leaving the room for a p!ss it's distracting me :lol:
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  • chris_sw
    chris_sw Posts: 100
    mask of sanity wrote:
    ... water is very toxic So don't over do it!!!
    There's nothing toxic about water, but if you drink too much water it can cause your blood to be thinned, and then the water moves into your cells, this causes swelling in the brain and unlike most other organs there's little space around it so the brain is squashed inside the skull. This is what causes people to die in extreme cases.

    Also, this quote is from the BBC article linked above:
    "If you are going to the toilet more than once every two hours or so that might be too much, especially if your urine is clear"
  • mask of sanity
    mask of sanity Posts: 610
    chris_sw wrote:
    mask of sanity wrote:
    ... water is very toxic So don't over do it!!!
    There's nothing toxic about water

    Not true I'm afraid! Everything is toxic, it just depends on how much you have. And rapid consumption of excess water can be very dangerous.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Usually your kidneys can remove it fast enough, not peeing or taking anti-diuretics will however lead to problems.

    However could you drink too much isotonic fluid?

    Interestingly I know a fair few competative athletes who regularly drink 6-7 litres of water a day, and one who was up at 10!!!! :shock:
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  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    has bhima hacked your account? :)
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  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    Clear is a poor word to use - it's always clear, just different colours.

    You'll be aiming for colourless or near colourless.

    If your pee goes from clear (in any colour) to cloudy - then you have serious problems my friend!
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  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    mine? no certainly not, why would he do that.

    And how would i disprove that fact... :wink:
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  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    ride_whenever wrote:
    mine? no certainly not, why would he do that.

    And how would i disprove that fact... :wink:


    no, red. It's a very bhima'esque post!
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  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    redddraggon wrote:
    The water fountain is also next to the toilet, so when I go for a p!ss I take a bottle with me :lol:
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    If he's peeing on work time. let him get on with it!

    Well, I'm doing a PhD, and there's not much going on at the moment, with them having temporarily shut down the equipment I need. So I'm largely just trying to entertain myself, and that's when I get the nibbles normally. When I'm thoroughly engaged doing something, rather than sitting in front of a PC, I generally don't crave eating something.

    The reason why I'm drinking the water, is to feed my crave of consuming something, rather than going to the vending machines and get a mars bars or something. I'm not actually that thirsty TBH.

    Drinking water is supposed to improve concentration too, but with this leaving the room for a p!ss it's distracting me :lol:

    I think not eating when perhaps you need to is not going to aid concentration! How about nibbling on fruit, nuts or other healthy titbits rather than drinking constantly or feeling the urge to buy chocolate from a vending machine? It's actually quite healthy to nibble/snack throughout the day, as long as it's not junk, rather than eat great big meals 3 x per day
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  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    The 2L of water a day thing is very misleading.

    The advice is that you should be consuming around 2L of water a day, but not drinking it. Most of the water you need can come from your food.

    I'll generally drink around 500ml a day on days when I'm not riding, combined with a healthy diet, and my urine's near colourless all the time, with urination every few hours.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,452
    Are you actually feeling thirsty or just drinking as you're bored (I eat when I'm bored!)? If you are thirsty all the time see your GP as it's one of the symptoms of diabetes.
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    I drink between 2 and 3 litres of water a day in the office, and I am perfectly fine, I don't go to the toilet every 30 mins though, generally 1 hour or more.

    Don't forget some drinks are diuretics as well, like tea/coffee or any drink containing caffeine, so if you drink these as well you might go to the toilet more often.
  • twowheeledwriter
    twowheeledwriter Posts: 129
    The advice is that you should be consuming around 2L of water a day, but not drinking it. Most of the water you need can come from your food.

    IIRC, I read this in a newspaper article recently. A scientist or doctor was talking about the 2L amount that is received wisdom these days. He said (as pointed out in the quote above) that the 2L figure is the total liquid from any source, including food. It's seems even a slice of bread will contribute to this.

    Call me cynical, but I point the finger at the manufacturers of bottled water for promoting the "2L of water" rule - it's certainly in their interests...
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  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    The X litres a day thing has become another urban myth; when challenged, nobody can ever produce a peer reviewed scientific study that shows this is neccessary / desirable.

    Similarly, the diuretic effect of tea and coffe is often overstated.

    At this time of year I often drink nothing but tea, and I don't appear to be shrivelling up or producing pee the colour of Fanta*.






    *unless I've been overdoing the beetroot
  • mattward1979
    mattward1979 Posts: 692
    the Diuretic effect is from the caffeine, but its so minor as to be negligible in the amounts in the prepared solution.

    There are so many myths about nutrition its virtually impossible to eek out the facts without actually gaining a degree in Nutrition..

    Too much water = bad... Not enough = bad.

    good thing is that the gap between the two is pretty big, so as long as you arent dehydrating or getting visually bloated, you should be ok.

    Its like with Lipid intake...

    Too much fat = REALLY bad. No fat (over time ofc ) = REALLY bad...

    but "experts" trying to sell you low fat margarine fail to tell you that your body gets a sufficient supply of all the lipids it needs to stay healthy from a small portion of dark green vegetables like Broccoli.
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  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Funny thing is, when I got home last night my wife revealed she'd cooked the last of the beetroot crop so we had it with our evening meal. So this morning's pee is the colour of dilute Ribena. Spooky.
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    redddraggon wrote:
    The water fountain is also next to the toilet, so when I go for a p!ss I take a bottle with me :lol:

    Just try only filling up the bottle every other time you go and see what it's like in a few days. I always aim to drink around 3L a day and don't find I go to the toilet too often but I guess its a case for different things for different people!
    ride_whenever wrote:
    Interestingly I know a fair few competative athletes who regularly drink 6-7 litres of water a day, and one who was up at 10!!!!

    Could that just be a case of if they are training a lot they need to take more on, sort of like if you're training lots you need to take on more calories?

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