How Much Water is Enough? How Much Water is Too Much?

Formula for Water Consumption Standards

There are many formulas on the internet for how much water you should drink.  All diet books and courses I have read agree that lack of water leads to poor removal of waste from your cells.  This decrease cellular output and performance.  A lower cellular output suppresses metabolism.  For most people, you can estimate water needs by taking half of one’s weight in pounds and converting that to ounces.

  So if I weigh 200 pounds, I need roughly 100 ounces.  From here the whatif’s start.  What if I am hiking — water needs go up?  What if I am eating a lot of soup — Water needs go down.  What if I am eating a lot of salty foods¹ — water needs go down.  The aforementioned formula is a baseline, you can still be hypernatremic² or hyponatremic³  What about the rule of just drink when you are thirsty?  You’ll generally be working in a constant state of mild dehydration then.  Thirst is created through a negative feedback loop.  By the time you notice this feedback loop kicking in, you already have 2-3% less water than ideal.

Measuring Yourself Before and After a Workout:  If you want to know how much water you actually transpire during a workout, just measure your body mass on a scale before and after your workout.  Assuming you don’t eat or drink anything, the difference in weight is your water consumption in pounds.  Assuming its 2.5 pounds, for example, that equates to 40 ounces.  40 ounces is slightly more than one liter of water (5 cups).

What are Some Healthy Alternatives to Water?

There are many healthy alternatives to water.

1. Green Tea
2. Herbal Tea
3. Oolong Tea
4. Sparkling Water (Paul’s Personal Favorite)
5. Cucumber water (Second Favorite — cucumber magic)
6. Strawberry Water
7. Almond Milk
8. Flax Milk
9. Cashew Milk
10. Lemon or Lime Water
11. Iced Tea
12. Pure Vegatable Juice

Which Beverages that are Less Healthy for you?

1. Beer
2. Wine
3. Hard Alcohol
4. Fruit Juices
5. Sweetened Vegetable Juice
6. Smoothies Made with Fruit
7. Soy Milk
8. Rice Milk
9. Sweetened Tea
10. Sweetened Lemonade
11. Soda
12. Diet Soda
13. Creamers like International Delight, Coffeemate
14. Eggnog
15. Sweetened Water or Fruit Water Drinks

Beverages that are OK depending on the Time or Use

1. Energy Drinks. If you take one before your workout, and the stimulants provide you with the ability to move substantially more volume than you could without it, a case could be made that the glycemic impact is balanced out by improved performance.  All things being equal, go for the energy drinks having fewer sweeteners.
2. Protein Shakes. The recovery benefits of drinking a protein shake after a workout outweigh the negative aspects of If you take one before your workout, and the stimulants provide you with the ability to move substantially more volume than you could without it, a case could be made that the glycemic impact is balanced out by improved performance.  All things being equal, go for the protein drinks having fewer sweeteners.
3. Coffee.  Black coffee contains antioxidants.  Most nutritionists believe two cups a day is generally safe.  At higher levels, coffee can cause dehydration and raise cortisol levels.
4. Kombucha Health Benefits include gut health through probiotics and cancer prevention through antioxidants.  However it also contains sugar, so timing-wise it best consumed immediately before or after your workout.