How much water should we consume?

We all know that water is essential to our survival – we will survive only a few days without water and up to 80 % of our bodyweight is in fact, water.

So exactly how much water do we need to consume everyday? I bet most of you are already thinking of 8 glasses a day, but let me say that’s just a bare minimum. In 2004, the Academy of Sciences (In the US) conducted a study and released a first-ever recommended intake for water.

The recommendations are (for individuals living in a temperate climate):
Women: 2.7 litres/day
Men: 3.7 litres/day

And yes, these are recommendations for humans, not camels. If it seems alot, it’s only because it includes the water we obtain from foods. But anyway, this basically debunks the common standard of drinking 8 glasses a day already. It may also be interesting to know that even the experts don’t know where the advice of 8 glasses/day originated!

Now for the best part. The above does not apply to adults who engage in vigorous exercise, and they don’t account for hot weather! Yes, that’s US they’re talking about. So for all us fitness enthusiasts, it basically means we should be drinking WAY MORE than that. How much? Well the study also says that nobody really knows how these factors effect our water requirements, but we sure do need more.

As regular exercisers, we need to drink water before, during, and after exercise. Drink a good amount of water about an hour or two before exercising. During exercise, drink at least half cup every 10 to 15 minutes. After exercise, replenish once again by drinking more water. Sports drinks (100 Plus, Gatorade) are recommended for exercise that lasts longer than one hour. Plus, the slightly salty taste you get in sports drinks is actually to maintain the desire to drink and also stimulate fluid absorption. Sipping on sports drinks every single time you work out can lead to the consumption of unecessary calories (especially if you’re trying to lose weight). So, too much of a good thing isnt that good after all.

There’s a general rule to consume 500ml of fluid for every pound of bodyweight you lose (due to sweat) while working out but I think it’s a bit ridiculous to go weigh yourself just to determine how much water to drink.

What works for me is to ALWAYS CARRY YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE! It encourages drinking (you dont have to keep walking to that damn fountain which can barely shoot the stream high enough). Fill your bottle up and sip whenever you can. You don’t even have to wait for 10 – 15 mins before you take another sip. I normally take small sips after every other set of exercises. In a 60 minute weight-training session, I would have consumed at least approx 1 litre of water. This increases greatly on the days when I do my cardio after that. There were times when I have forgotten my water bottle, and I would be so distracted from my workout as I have to keep walking to the fountain. So, to all of you who don’t have a water bottle – get one. Nothing fancy required here… If it holds water, it will do!

Now I’ll drink to that.
Cheers!

This post was written by...

Noel Chelliah

Noel Chelliah, ACE-CPT, ACE-LWMC, has been recognized as one of the Top Transformation Experts in Malaysia. No stranger to being overweight himself, Noel has gone through a life-changing transformation himself, from fat, to fit. In 2010, Noel founded the DailyMuscle Body Transformation Camp, which today helps hundreds of individuals exercise and practice healthier habits. In his spare time, Noel serves the community with various programs that promote a healthier lifestyle, and enjoys playing with his dogs.