You will need to modify your water intake depending on certain factors, such as how active you are, your health status, whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, and the climate within which you live:
- Physical activity
If you engage in any physical activity that makes you sweat, you will need to consume additional fluids to compensate for this loss. For a short bout of exercise 400-600ml should suffice, whereas an intense exercise session will require more. The amount of extra fluid you require will very much depend on how much you sweat during exercise, the type of exercise, and indeed the duration.
It is highly recommended that for those of you who regularly partake in long bouts of intense exercise you should look to consume a sports drink. Your sports drink should contain sodium, as this will help to replace the sodium your body has lost through sweating. This can also help to stave off the potentially life-threatening condition hyponatremia (a low concentration of sodium in the serum). It is equally important to continuing replacing fluids even after your exercise session.
- Climate
Most of us typically sweat during hot or humid weather, and therefore it is important to increase your intake of fluid at this time. This is also true of heated indoor air, which is generally used during the colder times of the year, as this will cause your skin to lose moisture. Altitudes above 8,200 feet are also a cause for concern. This will usually trigger the need to urinate more often, and, of course, your breathing will be faster, both of which will deplete your fluid reserves.
- Health Conditions
You should always drink more water if you are suffering from diarrhoea, fever or vomiting, as your body will lose fluids. You may even find in these circumstances that your doctor recommends additional solutions for rehydration, such as Gatorade or Powerade. Additional fluids may also be required for conditions including urinary tract stones or bladder infections.
However, certain conditions, such as kidney or liver disease, and heart failure will impede the discharge of water from the body. Therefore it is important to limit your fluid intake in these circumstances.
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding
Expectant mothers and women who are breast-feeding require additional fluids. This is to ensure they stay hydrated, and is especially true of nursing mothers. It is recommended that pregnant women should drink 2-3 litres of fluids a day, whereas someone who is breast-feeding should consume at least 3.1 litres of fluids per day.
How to consume further sources of water
It isn’t entirely necessary to rely solely on water for your daily fluid intake. As mentioned in part 1 (insert link for “part 1”), food provides approximately 20% of your daily fluid intake. In fact, certain fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, are as much as 90% water by weight.
As you would expect, beverages including juice and milk are mainly composed of water. The same is even true of beer, wine, tea, coffee, and soda, although you should never rely on these beverages as a major source of your daily fluid intake. Water will always be your best option, as it contains no calories, is readily available and inexpensive.
You shouldn’t wait until you’re thirsty to consume fluids, and it is advisable to drink a glass of water with each meal and in between meals. You should also fully hydrate during and after exercise, and try replacing alcoholic beverages with sparkling water.
That’s all for today folks, but I’ll be back again next week. Until then, take care of your health, and keep yourself hydrated at all times.
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