How much water do you drink each day?

Stella89

Hiya
I hear from alot of people that it is important to drink eight glases of water a day.Should you not just drink water when you are thirsty....I drink about two glasses of water a day and maybe two glasses of green tea(so i'm half way there if tea counts as water:p).How much does everybody else drink on average?

FunkZ

On average I'd say 4 to 5 litres, sometimes less, sometimes more. I love water though!

I'd say around 20 glasses for me =P

cozmik

how do you know if you're drinking enough water? Experts say there's an easy way to judge. If you're not thirsty, you're fluid intake is likely "just right."

Five Myths About Drinking Water

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89323934

EileenG

This is Ireland. It's cold and wet and miserable. I drink my water as tea.

Gavin "shels"

Anything up to 10 pints a day. Usually around 6.

VIS VIRES

I'd drink about 4 litres a day maybe more if i had a match....

rubadub

Stella89 wrote: »

Hiya
I hear from alot of people that it is important to drink eight glases of water a day.

I heard this was based on some study saying people should ingest 8 glasses worth of water a day, a lot of this would come from food though. It was apparently misinterperated, like so many scientific studies tend to be, and false conclusions are drawn.

A bunch of scientists once proved it is impossible for a bumble bee to fly.

hunter164

On a training day anything up to 5 litres.
On a normal day around 3.

I feel better when I am well hydrated.....I don't care what science says.
I probably drink 3L a day between water and herbal teas.

Placebo

are these true?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89323934

Tar.Aldarion

Not sure how much I drink, depends where I am, I detest tap water, so I either have to boil and filter my water or drink riverrock and so on. If I have good water around I tend to drink a lot of it.

burgess1

Depends on the day but usually about 2 or 3 litres.

entropi

Only seem to drink around 3 pints a day as that usually keeps me hydrated. I dont need anymore.

unreggd

about 2 litres a day

Loopy

2 large glasses a day

And about 10 cups of tea

spaceylou

Don't think you can count tea (or coffee) towards your water intake if they have caffeine in them. Caffeine is diruretic (excuse spelling please) so speeds up dehydration so the water and the caffeine kinda cancel themselves out!!

Herbal teas and green tea are okay though - as far as I know...

cozmik

A mother of two has won more than £800,000 ($1.6M) at the High Court after she claimed that a radical detox diet left her brain-damaged and epileptic

...

Dawn Page, 52, said that she was told to drink four extra pints of water a day and reduce her salt intake to prevent fluid retention and reduce weight.

Within days of going on “The Amazing Hydration Diet” she began vomiting and, less than a week after starting the diet, suffered a massive epileptic fit. She was taken to intensive care but doctors were unable to prevent permanent brain injury.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4380907.ece

I really think you are better off to just drink when you are thirsty and not worry about how many litres.

Sugar Drunk

heard this on the radio. it makes me wonder when I read that she was vomiting and feeling awful yet continued to do what this 'nutritionalist' said rather than consulting a second opinion or a doctor. when did people become incapable of independent thought?

on teh subject of water, I drink a litre a day. Any more and I have to pee constantly which, when you work at a desk is not fun!

mack1

Sugar Drunk wrote: »

heard this on the radio. it makes me wonder when I read that she was vomiting and feeling awful yet continued to do what this 'nutritionalist' said rather than consulting a second opinion or a doctor. when did people become incapable of independent thought?

Exactly what I was going to say!
I think it's time to trim the herd....

Honey-ec

4 -5 litres a day is excessive, imho, unless you're sweating buckets.

The 64 oz a day "prescription" is a result of misinterpretation of guidelines:

From the American Journal of Physiology:

Valtin: ..the notion may have started when the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommended approximately "1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food," which would amount to roughly two to two-and-a-half quarts per day (64 to 80 ounces). Although in its next sentence, the Board stated "most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods," that last sentence may have been missed, so that the recommendation was erroneously interpreted as how much water one should drink each day."

further...""The fact is that, potentially, there is harm even in water," explains Valtin. Even modest increases in fluid intake can result in "water intoxication" if one's kidneys are unable to excrete enough water (urine). Such instances are not unheard of, and they have led to mental confusion and even death in athletes, in teenagers after ingesting the recreational drug Ecstasy, and in ordinary patients.

And he lists other disadvantages of a high water intake: (a) possible exposure to pollutants, especially if sustained over many years; (b) frequent urination, which can be both inconvenient and embarrassing; (c) expense, for those who satisfy the 8 x 8 requirements with bottled water; and (d) feelings of guilt for not achieving 8 x 8. "

https://dcprinciples.org/press/journal/02/release8-13-02.htm

dudara

I'd say that I drink 3-4 litres a day. It does vary from day to day, but I do notice the difference when I am dehydrated. My eyeballs fell gummy and I simply don't think as well. A quick glass of water turns me right around.

I do train and exercise, so I see drinking water as a crucial part of that!

jayoo

over two liters. i find that my body reacts badly if i dont drink a lot of water each day.
ps i have never had a hangover, could this be because im well hydrated?

jackbutler

I should really drink more water, when im at school i always have a bottle of water in my bag but whenever i drink anything i take huge gulps, therefore my water bottle is seldom full.

Now that its the end of the school year, ive set myself tasks such as drinking lots of water and snacking as little as possible. The snacking i have down, but water is still tricky.

I think that people pride themselves too much on how healthy their lifestyles are, and although im not saying it should be ridiculously private, i feel ashamed everytime i hear someone boast.

My advice to anyone, take a 2 litre bottle full of water any room you go in, you'd be surprised how much you like water after that

ErniePie

What about re-using water bottles over and over? Is that supposed to be un-hygienic or something? I tend to buy a bottle of water and then just re-fill it over and over in work... is that bad or does it matter?

fubar7676

its really handy to do the refill thing but i tend to change bottle every week for fear of getting the lurgy

dorey1

I aim for 2 litres a day, I bring a litre bottle to work and just refill it during the day- easiest way to know if you're getting the daily amount. How often should you be changing your water bottle anyway?

fifth

dorey1 wrote: »

I aim for 2 litres a day, I bring a litre bottle to work and just refill it during the day- easiest way to know if you're getting the daily amount. How often should you be changing your water bottle anyway?

I drink 2 1/2 - 3 litres a day..

I have just realised i've been using the same bottle for gym since february! :eek:

Fastino

ErniePie wrote: »

What about re-using water bottles over and over? Is that supposed to be un-hygienic or something? I tend to buy a bottle of water and then just re-fill it over and over in work... is that bad or does it matter?

I dont think it is too good to be refilling bottles with water too often, someone I work with got a sore throat and her doctor said it might have been from re-using the same bottle. I think bacteria can build up!?!

ErniePie

I haven't dropped dead yet from using the same bottle for a while in work, though would definitely change it after a week or so. Much worse though are those Lucozade sport refillable bottles my football team use. They've been knocking about for a couple seasons now and I can't recall them ever getting a decent cleaning...

WindSock

I Drink about 2 litres a day. I always feel thirsty though

Macha

It is definitely not advisible to keep using a water bottle over and over again. These bottles are only designed to be used once. There are tiny microscopic particles of plastic that can be eroded away & end up in the water.

I would suggest that people buy a proper hard-plastic, durable water bottle that can be put in the dishwasher or handwashed once a week. You can get them in most sports shops or great outdoors etc.

One thing that really annoys me about Dublin is that there a very, very few public drinking water sources. There are quite a few in Trinity that I use but other than that...?

ErniePie

Decent site even if it is eircom...

*Hank Scorpio*

If I drank 3-4 litres a day I'd be on the bog all the time.

Mink

I can't manage over 2ltrs unless in a very hot country.

I would drink 1 to 1 1/2ltrs water a day at the most. My food usually has a high water content (juice, smoothies, veg).

I bring my water bottle to work & refill it from the water fountain, but I need to change it more as I reckon I use it 2 weeks on the trot :rolleyes:

Mink

taconnol wrote: »

It is definitely not advisible to keep using a water bottle over and over again. These bottles are only designed to be used once. There are tiny microscopic particles of plastic that can be eroded away & end up in the water.

I would suggest that people buy a proper hard-plastic, durable water bottle that can be put in the dishwasher or handwashed once a week. You can get them in most sports shops or great outdoors etc.

Good idea.