Forget about the 8 glasses of water per day rule, according to these experts | CBC Radio

You’ve in all probability heard that consuming eight glasses of water per day is essential or that you must get extra fluids when sick. 

But simply how a lot water does an individual actually need?

There are quite a lot of myths about hydration on the market, however for many wholesome adults, your physique will let you know when it is time to drink up, says Dr. Jane Thornton, a sports activities medication doctor and former Olympic rower based mostly in London, Ont.

“Essentially we should be drinking according to thirst. That doesn’t always work, but it’s good guidance for most of us,” Thornton informed Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC’s The Dose. 

She says elements like excessive warmth, chilly, age and period of train all play into when and the way a lot an individual ought to drink.

Experts say there are some easy tips to observe to be sure to’re correctly hydrated, even in winter.

“[For] most of us, we don’t need to overcomplicate things,” mentioned Stephen Cheung, a professor in Brock University’s kinesiology division.

Do I would like eight glasses of water per day?

The quick reply is not any.

Researchers mentioned in a lately printed research that “one size does not fit all” in relation to the eight glasses per day water consuming guideline.

The researchers discovered that an individual’s water wants range based mostly on a number of elements like age, well being standing, intercourse, bodily exercise ranges and native local weather. 

Most folks needn’t drink two litres of water a day as a result of they’re going to additionally get fluids from different sources like vegatables and fruits or espresso and tea.

So as an alternative of consuming a one-size-fits-all quantity of water day-after-day, Thornton says most individuals ought to drink after they really feel thirsty.

“There’s no magic number,” she says. 

Cheung says one of many largest myths round hydration is that you might want to be always consuming. 

“There are some exceptions, but for the large part your thirst is a wonderful tool,” he says. “It is more than enough to really have you drinking sufficiently day-to-day.”

Young kids and infants are the exceptions — they typically are usually not capable of acknowledge the thirst sensation, Cheung says. Seniors, too, could wrestle to acknowledge after they’re thirsty as they could have a decreased sense of thirst. 

How do I do know if I’m dehydrated?

Signs of dehydration might be gentle at first, with folks typically having hassle concentrating, a headache or irritability, Thornton says.

Darker-coloured urine, dizziness and fatigue are sometimes extra critical indicators of dehydration. She says organ failure is among the most excessive indicators.

“But most of us will never get there. That’s not what’s going to happen on a daily basis,” emphasizes Thornton. 

And there are particular medicines, like some antidepressants, that may enhance an individual’s threat for dehydration, Thornton added. 

Staying hydrated is vital as a result of fluids assist regulate physique temperature, hold joints lubricated, stop infections and ship vitamins to maintain organs functioning, says Emily Campbell, a registered dietitian based mostly in Toronto who helps folks with kidney illness.

Should I solely drink water? 

Generally, water is one of the best fluid to hydrate the physique, says Campbell. 

“We can use things like lemon or lime to flavour our beverages, but on a day-to-day basis choosing those sugar-free beverages is important,” she provides.

When understanding, Thornton suggests sticking to water for the primary hour. After that, she suggests changing these electrolytes both by way of a sports activities drink or by way of meals.

“You’re essentially looking at electrolyte replacement [of] minerals such as sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate and magnesium,” says the Olympian. 

“[Electrolytes] help balance the amount of water in the body and … they can also help remove waste from cells.” 

She says folks also can refuel with meals, itemizing bananas as a very good supply of potassium and watermelon as a supply of potassium and magnesium. 

Experts say those that are sick with a viral sickness like a chilly or the flu also needs to watch their water consumption and should need to flip to a sports activities drink to get extra carbohydrates of their weight-reduction plan when missing an urge for food. 

Do I have to hydrate throughout train?

Cheung, who has researched thermal stress and its results on the physique, says the largest fantasy round dehydration is that as quickly as you sweat, you may want to exchange that water. 

“The body can tolerate dehydration and can tolerate a decent amount,” he says.

He factors to marathoners or ultra-distance runners who lose some physique weight throughout a race however nonetheless can carry out at a excessive degree.

“It’s not the case that, ‘Oh, I have to drink like every 15 minutes or as soon as I start sweating, I better slam back the fluids,'” he says.

He and Thornton agree that for the typical individual’s one-hour exercise, there’s typically no want to fret about enormous losses of fluid. 

“Most people will be able to regulate themselves and drink sufficiently when they come back from their exercise,” Cheung says.

He provides that there are two important elements that may have an effect on your charge of dehydration: environmental circumstances like excessive temperatures and train depth. 

“Say you’re running at the same speed on a cold day … in Edmonton. You’re still going to be sweating, but you’re not going to be sweating nearly as much as if you were here in southern Ontario in the middle of summer where it’s very hot and humid,” Cheung says. 

“Your sweat rate — therefore your rate of dehydration — and then potentially the amount of fluids you need to drink both during exercise and after exercise will differ according to the environmental conditions.”

If folks need a greater thought of how a lot water loss occurs throughout a exercise, Cheung and Thornton recommend weighing your self earlier than and after exercising. 

“If you lose one kilo, then you will have to replace that with one litre of water,” Thornton says, emphasizing that fluid loss will change based mostly on environmental circumstances and train period.

What does the physique do when it is over-hydrated?

Water intoxication or hyper-hydration might be deadly, however specialists say it’s uncommon.

Cheung says the human physique is superb at “regulating your fluid balance,” each while you’re dehydrated and hyper-hydrated. 

“It’s very hard to hyper-hydrate, to be above your normal fluid balance, because your renal system  — your kidneys — are just so good at regulating your fluid balance that you will just go to the bathroom and pee it out,” he says, including that there aren’t any main well being advantages to being hyper-hydrated.