How much water do you drink?

[raytseng]

Everything is an opinion. Some opinions will have studies and consensus of other people behind it. However, even among the opinion with higher consensus and studies, they will indicate there is no single recommendation that works for every human all the time. If you want more than just my opinion, google "drink when thirsty" to get a bunch of the recent studies behind this "opinion" (the smiley faces are drinking electrolytes and not beer).

 

[HardDaysNight]

Yes, this and the diet thread go a long way towards explaining why Americans are so susceptible to quackery and inclined to fall prey to hucksters and faddists.

 

[CalG]

Everything is an opinion. Some opinions will have studies and consensus of other people behind it. However, even among the opinion with higher consensus and studies, they will indicate there is no single recommendation that works for every human all the time. If you want more than just my opinion, google "drink when thirsty" to get a bunch of the recent studies behind this "opinion" (the smiley faces are drinking electrolytes and not beer).

I was hoping for some medical justification. As I wrote, "I read....." but don't have any information that would have the "don't sip" suggestion anything but someone else's opinion.

I've got plenty of opinions myself, on a vast array of topics, But I try to stay open to fact and substance. ;-)

There are electrolytes in beer! I just know there are... there must be.... at least I think there are, I hope.

 

[Tricia]

Yes, this and the diet thread go a long way towards explaining why Americans are so susceptible to quackery and inclined to fall prey to hucksters and faddists.

Which is kind of why we're talking about both topics.
I am sort of confused by all the different ideas on how much water to drink but I know that I need to remember to drink more when I'm at the shop because I get busy and forget then I feel like crap.

 

[CalG]

I get a head ache when I really need water. Fool proof some would say.

Why do I keep getting these head aches? ;-)

 

[LuliTheYounger]

I tried skiing with my Camelbak for the first time a few weeks ago. I found that I really didn't drink as much as I expected - maybe 1L over a shortish ski day? I think it helped, though, to be able to drink a little whenever I felt like it, rather than the yo-yo hydrating that I tend to do when I'm put off going in & then chugging during lunch.

 

[CalG]

Most "wild" mammals are entirely satisfied drinking water once a day.

I wonder how that plays out with the human animal.

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a horse drink water? Takes a while.

An aside,.... animals that LICK water, eat meat. Animals that DRINK water eat plants ....
I'm sure there are exceptions... like fish, they have a hard time drinking ... ;-)

 

[geepers]

I get a head ache when I really need water. Fool proof some would say.

Why do I keep getting these head aches? ;-)

Ask your tailor but not your doctor.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Most "wild" mammals are entirely satisfied drinking water once a day.

I wonder how that plays out with the human animal.

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a horse drink water? Takes a while.

An aside,.... animals that LICK water, eat meat. Animals that DRINK water eat plants ....
I'm sure there are exceptions... like fish, they have a hard time drinking ... ;-)

I would hypothesize (cuz I'm an elitist academic snob - I never opine!) that the wild animals you reference are all young or at most in their prime. If they're lucky enough to make it into old(er) age (relatively rare) their drinking habit will be forced to change. My basis for this is that in domestic animals, they can and often do get into trouble with dehydration in the golden years. I suspect the same is true with humans - my blurry memories of my youth were of playing for most of the day, out in the hot sun, with no where near the frequency of liquid intake that I need in my dotage. Young kidneys and all.

Oh, and fish do drink, or should I say salt water fish do; fresh water fish, not so much (think salt balance).

 

[LuliTheYounger]

Most "wild" mammals are entirely satisfied drinking water once a day.

I wonder how that plays out with the human animal.

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a horse drink water? Takes a while.

An aside,.... animals that LICK water, eat meat. Animals that DRINK water eat plants ....
I'm sure there are exceptions... like fish, they have a hard time drinking ... ;-)

Actually, I've found that our crew only really do those long drinks if they're bordering on dehydration - usually they'll chug once right after work, which I think is what most people see?

Even on long conditioning rides, if they're not overheating they really seem to prefer to get a few liters and move on, water scarcity be damned. Some of our older distance horses have sort of learned to get it when they can, but I took the baby out on on his first long run the other day and had to spend forever trying to scam him into drinking an extra liter at every creek.

On spring/summer pasture it sometimes looks like one drink a day because they're taking in most of their water in grass, but then the actual intake is basically equivalent to a bunch of little drinks all day, I imagine. In winter stalls a lot of them will soak their dry hay in their water bucket & snack on green slime all day, which I guess they think is the winter version.

I don't know as much about other large mammals, but my impression from horses is definitely that they'd rather sip all day if it's an option.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Beer, wine, and coffee are made from water...

 

[Seldomski]

From what I heard on podcasts and posted in the other hydration thread, there is no epidemic of Americans being underhydrated, the promotion to drinking more water for health is to use a positive (instead of negative) framework to displace caloric or empty calorie drinks for nutrition and obesity issues (which IS an epidemic)

Yes I think this is the motivation behind the 'drink more water' articles related to dieting/fitness. It's not that you are dehydrated, it's that the diet wants you to drink so much water that you don't have room to drink any other beverage. They want you to drink water instead of the coke you would normally. Even artificially sweetened beverages (with 0 calories) are bad for you. Fruit juice is 'bad' in the amounts that most people are drinking them. Do you know how many whole oranges go into a glass of OJ? It's a lot more than you would consider reasonable eating as solid food. This is why pediatricians will not recommend fruit juice for kids. The portion size is just out of hand. Link.

So as far as helping the most people, 'drink more water' is a good mantra. If you already are avoiding all of the 'bad stuff', you may be just fine with whatever amount of water you are currently drinking.

Me - I do not specifically track water intake. If I am thirsty, I drink water. If my pee is darker than normal, I drink water. If I have a headache, I drink some water (but this can also be caused by drinking too much). Pretty simple stuff.

 

[CalG]

Then there is the "Drink your food, Eat your water" idea to consider. Doing that changes many things.

 

[Tricia]

I've been paying attention to the amount of water I drink and what my body does during and after.
I tend to drink between 1 and 1.5 liters of water when I'm riding bike and feel good while riding.
immediately after riding I feel a little bloated, but after I'm resting a bit, I start peeing.... a lot, like ever 20-30 minutes.
After the peeing frenzy I feel slim, strong and refreshed.
I get the feeling that I'm over hydrating while riding, and am flushing out the gack when my body decides that it doesn't need to retain the water.

 

[CalG]

I've been paying attention to the amount of water I drink and what my body does during and after.
I tend to drink between 1 and 1.5 liters of water when I'm riding bike and feel good while riding.
immediately after riding I feel a little bloated, but after I'm resting a bit, I start peeing.... a lot, like ever 20-30 minutes.
After the peeing frenzy I feel slim, strong and refreshed.
I get the feeling that I'm over hydrating while riding, and am flushing out the gack when my body decides that it doesn't need to retain the water.

I just sweat a lot, saves on all those annoying trips to the loo.
I split wood this AM for a couple of hours before noon. Too much sun! I had to wring out my tee shirt before I could put it in the wash machine.
I've been accused of sweating when I eat. Oh well.... That dip in the pool sure felt good!

 

[Tricia]

I just sweat a lot, saves on all those annoying trips to the loo.
I split wood this AM for a couple of hours before noon. Too much sun! I had to wring out my tee shirt before I could put it in the wash machine.
I've been accused of sweating when I eat. Oh well.... That dip in the pool sure felt good!

I don't sweat too much, I do sweat a little. I know a lot of people who sweat a whole lot more than I do.

 

[VickiK]

Yeah, I am a sweater, especially with a warm sweater.

 

[tball]

I tend to drink between 1 and 1.5 liters of water when I'm riding bike and feel good while riding.

How long is your ride?

Our bodies can only absorb .5 to 1 liter of water per hour. One liter/hour is in the most extreme conditions, so it doesn't make sense to drink beyond that amount. More than that sits in your stomach, and you'll feel bloated until it has time to be absorbed.

We can sweat out a lot more than that per hour. I think it's up to 3 liters working hard in extreme heat. So you have to rehydrate following if you are sweating a lot.

My dad is getting old and has had trouble staying hydrated. He's had a couple falls because of low blood pressure due to dehydration. Several medical professionals have told him to watch the color of his urine. If it's any darker than very light yellow, he needs to drink more.

Here's what works for me to stay hydrated even in the summer heat: If my pee is too dark, I'll immediately slam half a liter of water. Pee and repeat. That worked well last week when I was outside in the sun all day in the dry air at altitude. You can catch up in an hour or so, and peeing more often is well worth how much better you feel when hydrated.

 

[Tricia]

How long is your ride?

Our bodies can only absorb .5 to 1 liter of water per hour. One liter/hour is in the most extreme conditions, so it doesn't make sense to drink beyond that amount. More than that sits in your stomach, and you'll feel bloated until it has time to be absorbed.

We can sweat out a lot more than that per hour. I think it's up to 3 liters working hard in extreme heat. So you have to rehydrate following if you are sweating a lot.

My dad is getting old and has had trouble staying hydrated. He's had a couple falls because of low blood pressure due to dehydration. Several medical professionals have told him to watch the color of his urine. If it's any darker than very light yellow, he needs to drink more.

Here's what works for me to stay hydrated even in the summer heat: If my pee is too dark, I'll immediately slam half a liter of water. Pee and repeat. That worked well last week when I was outside in the sun all day in the dry air at altitude. You can catch up in an hour or so, and peeing more often is well worth how much better you feel when hydrated.

Our rides range from 1-1.5 hrs depending on where we're riding and how much elevation.
Also, I often fill my 1.5L Camelback and don't finish it on the ride, but will sip a bit on the drive home.
I also pack a banana and some sort of hydration supplement like pedialite with me.

Part of the reason I'm consuming so much water is because of the pollen and dry air, but I'm sure you're dealing with that in Colorado too.

 

[coskigirl]

In the summer heat I really try to make sure I pre-hydrate over the hours leading up to a hot workout so that I am at least starting in a well hydrated place. When it's really hot I make sure that the water has electrolytes or at least some salt in it as well. My running coach calls them "salty bottles".