How Much Water? My Take…..
Posted on 16 March 2009
Much Debate
Its a question that has thrown up much controversy. Some say drink your 8-10 cups a day, others think its fine to let your thirst dictate how much water you should drink. Check out some of these articles for reference:
How Much Water Per Day – Fitness Black Book
Drink Less Water - Mark’s Daily Apple
Both are very good discussions on the topic and layout a good foundation on what you should and need to know about water intake.
My Take
In the past I have used my body as a means to experiment with water intake and see what works best. This has included drowning myself in water throughout the day right up until bed. And on the opposite end of the spectrum drinking very little water and going mainly by my thirst.
Through this I have learnt some pretty cool stuff and picked up some cool tips on how and when to drink for maximum benefit! Water is great and much needed in large quantities. The secret comes in knowing when and how to utilize your bodies ability to uptake water.
The best time to rehydrate and have a large volume of water is upon waking. Our digestive system and internal organs are crying out for water after a long night in which they used so much water to perform their overnight maintenance tasks. Therefore it is important that before doing or eating anything in the morning to have at least 1 or 2 big glasses of water. I usually wake up and gulp down about 750ml’s from my Sigg flask (which I always keep bedside)
After the initial morning water flush I am a firm believer we can let our thirst dictate when and how much to drink. Throughout the day if inactive there shouldn’t be too much thirst and therefore need to drink water. I usually get by on a few cups of Green Tea and sip on water here and there to refresh. One time you should really void drinking large amounts of fluid are around meal times. Its a good idea to have a small cup of water before a meal (at least 10 minutes) but drinking liquid with a meal dilutes your digestive enzymes and hinders the absorbtion of nutrients so keep it to a minimum. Wine is fine in moderation with meals as it has a simular level of aciditiy to your stomach.
I also like to sip of warm herbal tea’s with meals as I find a hot drink can soothe and aid digestion. The chinese have long known the benefits of drinking Green Tea with a meal as the heat helps break down the fat from the meal and it cannot be drunk quickly due to the temperature making it very hard to overdrink while eating.
Another good time to drink a good amount of water is post workout. Usually 10 minutes after finishing. Drinking too much water during a workout isnt the best idea as it will divert blood flow to yur stomach which puts strain on your body. Therefore sip on fluid during workouts and gulp it after…..Another great way to hydrate after a workout is through juicy fruit’s, just think of the appeal a juicy watermelon has after a long hard workout! I also like to add a few dashes of sea salt to my water after working out. This gives it a nice balance of minerals.
Also be sure to wind down your fluid intake after dark. Its best to not drink too soon to bed time unless you are really thirsty. I always keep a flask of water bedside for the times I wake up really desperate for a drink. The problem with drinking too much before bed is that it can cause you to wake up multiple times throughout the night to go to the toilet, and this can disrupt sleep and therefore recovery…..
Tips
So to sum it all up let’s get the key points down:
- Drink loads of water upon waking to flush the system
- Drinking water between meals is fine but don’t go overboard.
- Listen to your thirst and drink according to how dry your mouth is
- Herbal tea’s are a great way to hydrate throughout the day
- Green tea sipped with meal’s is a great idea to improve digestion
- Wind down your fluid intake as your day progresses.
So in a nutshell I find its best to drink like a king in the morning and sip as the day progresses. I would be interested to hear what you guys have learnt about optimal water intake and how much you try to drink everyday?
Comment by Rusty - Fitness Black Book
16 March 2009
Chris,
I never knew that drinking too much water during a meal was a bad idea, but it makes sense. I will try to back off my water intake a tiny bit during meals.
I also love sipping on Green Tea all day long, especially when I’m fasting.
Great post,
Rusty
Comment by Yavor
17 March 2009
Very good breakdown here Chris.
Here is another article on the subject, talking about morning dehydration, from my buddy Mark McManus:
http://www.musclehack.com/dehydration-causes-major-strength-decreases/
Yavor
Comment by Olga
17 March 2009
100% true. I used to drink around 2 liters of water a day (pure water, not tea or soup). I got rid of habit to drink water during meals. After breakfast at home I have a drink when I come to my office (in 40 minutes).
Very good post,
Thanks,
Olga
Comment by Yavor
17 March 2009
Rusty,
I too like to drink tea all day while fasting! I don’t usually drink coffee, but on mornings I fast, I like to start with a nice hot cup of black coffee.
Yavor
Comment by Methuselah - Train Now Live Later
17 March 2009
Chris,
Good advice. I workout in the morning, so drinking lots of water during and after my session kills two birds with one stone.
Equipped as I am with a fairly weak bladder, winding down consumption as the day progresses is an absolute must if I am to get a decent night’s sleep. I used to drink far too much before bedtime and as a result did not sleep well.
Comment by David at Animal-Kingdom-Workouts
17 March 2009
Lots of great tips here. I never thought about not drinking doing mealtime, but your reasoning is sound. Drinking water first thing in the morning also makes sense. Thanks for the food for thought.
- Dave
Comment by Trish (girlatgym)
18 March 2009
I always try to drink mostly during the first half of the day, then slowly taper off towards the evening. I drink less and less as the day is ending.
Comment by Rayna
18 March 2009
This is a good post with lots of useful information. I myself am a water bottle carrier and take my Nalgene bottle everywhere I go. I drink by thirst unless I’m about to work out, in which case I make sure to drink a full 32 ounces prior and then at least another 16 after. I find I function better this way.
I never really considered loading up in the morning but I’m going to have to try it now.
I do have a question for you though- Do you have any science behind water diluting the digestive enzyme?
I tried googling for some reasoning behind it but only found “girly” magazines and yahoo threads basing the claim off of opinion. I would really LOVE to see a study on this since understanding nutrition is a favorite past time of mine and the knowledge I have on enzymes doesn’t support this idea. (I still have a lot to learn). Either way, if you have a study, that would be awesome!
@ Rayna: Unfortunately I don’t have any links to studies on dilution of digestive enzymes but I have read a variety of books which have discussed this topic and the answer seems conclusive that its best to sip on water with meals rather than gulping it down. It also avoids the stomach swelling……As well as this I think it makes sense, think about how much better it feels to sip water during meals rather than throw back a cup or two between bites…..Give it a try, drink 2 cups of water with one meal. Then try and just sip water with your next and not drink for 1 hour before and after. It will be a good test of your digestion with different methods….
Comment by jeg
19 March 2009
I drink lots of water during mealtime so as to make me feel full faster. That way I won’t be able to eat much. Never it such a bad idea till now. This is really great. Very informative.
Anyway, does carbonated drinks like soda works the same way wines?
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
29 March 2009
Hey Chris. I’ve never really thought about my water intake that much. When I first started taking my fitness training seriously I read that drinking lots of water was a must so made the effort to drink loads. Now I never really pay that much attention to it. However, I do find that I naturally drink quite a large amount during the day – especially when I compare my intake to co-workers.
One thing I might need to watch out for is the amount I drink during workouts. I always get really thirsty when working out and usually chug the water down. However, I wasn’t aware that this could place a strain on your body.