It’s the age old question and we’ve all heard all types of responses – eight-8 oz. glasses or 1 oz. for every pound of body weight – but what is the right answer? Well, that’s where it gets tricky. There isn’t one right answer for every person.
There are more factors in determining water consumption than simply gender, age, height and weight. In fact, it can be quite complicated. Two women with the same weight, height and age will likely require two different plans for water consumption. The same goes for men. Other important factors include exercise level, daily activity level, environmental conditions and even climate type.
Daily Activity
Do you have a desk job or are you up and moving around? Someone who works on a computer is likely going to be more hydrated than someone who moves around a lot. Determine your level of activity during the day and go from there.
Exercise Level
What are you doing to exercise? Are you jogging, running, hiking, swimming, skiing, or lifting weights? These different exercises put different demands on the body so you will need to determine how your body reacts to each. A good rule of thumb is to consume 4 to 8 oz. every 15 minutes of exercise.
Environmental Conditions
What are the environmental conditions when you are exercising? Are you indoors at a local gym with an set temperature? Or are you running or hiking outside? And, what is the weather outside like? Environmental conditions affect your rate of water loss, otherwise known as sweat. If you are running in 90 degree weather you will need more water than if you are running in 80 degree weather. It’s that simple.
Climate Type
Do you live in a dry climate or somewhere humid? During Utah summers the climate is dry and hot, so you should be drinking additional water to help lower your body temperature, especially if you are sweating more. You need to replace the water your body is losing when you are sweating, including when you are wearing clothing even in cold weather.
As you can see, there is not a single answer to this question. You must simply determine the answer yourself. The best way to do that is through experience. Because everyone’s hydrated feels different, find out what you’re kind of hydrated and dehydrated feels like and adjust accordingly.
If you have more questions about water consumption, feel free to call us.