Training & Nutrition - Over hydration/mineral loss?

So I drink alot of water. I carry a 1 gallon jug of water around my office and clients all the time. I usually empty it once during the day then fill it again and drink maybe 1/4-1/2 of it by the end of the night. This is in addition to any diet soda or energy drink i may have about midday. I take a few vitamins daily(fiber, multi, glucosamine, fishoil, flaxseed) and usually eat about 3-4 servings of fruit a day and sometimes 2 servings of vegetables, in addition to any other foods i usually have.

it wasn't until recently i had heard of overhydrating(and not in the san francisco radio talk show water intoxication scandal way) and the fact that drinking to much water can in fact flush the good stuff from your system and actually having a negative effect on your body. i want to know if i am drinking to much a day? ive always drank alot, i used to take it all out on sodas but luckily in the last 2 years ive switched to water all day every day. i figure at least it's just water im drinking, but if drinking this much during the day is an issue, i need to know so i can cut back and adjust accordingly

what is the recomended daily water intake? i like to ride and work out in the gym as much as possible, im 22 and pretty active. i think im fine but who knows, maybe i could be better

suggestions?

I believe 8 glasses a day is still the recommendation ... a bit more if you're active.

And yes, too much water can cause problems, but the way to ward off some of those problems is to make sure you are consuming enough electrolytes. Electrolyes aid in the digestion and processing of water.

Your kidneys have to work very hard to handle that much water. 2.5 L (~85 fl oz) of water per day is a typical recommendation, and that includes the water in the food you eat. Of course, working out requires more water, but for a standard non-active day in normal temps, that's what you should aim for.

usually i drink a glass of water (12-16 ounces a glass) and wait til i pee. after that i drink another and go pee. i try to do this because if i dont drink it right after i pee, i will forget.

if im riding, i have 2 water bottles. i try to pace myself to drink 1 full bottle per hour on the bike. the second one i usually fill with a sport drink/water mix and drink that one last to help with electrolyte refueling.

You're fine so long as it's throughout the day. If you tried to drink all that at once you might have issues, but so long as you're not having to stop every 5 miles on the bike to pee you're good to go.

That is an awful large volume of water....ever been checked for diabetes?

never been checked, is there a reason i should be concerned?

You're eating plenty of food, so you're getting minerals and electrolytes there. I don't think I would be too concerned about hyponometria, but it does sound a little abnormal. Do you spend all your time peeing? Just for grins, I think I would see a doctor.

Az

Well you are drinking at least 16 more glasses of water than what is considered normal(3 fold increase!). Polyuria and polydipsia are two classic warning signs for diabetes.

Do you feel thirsty enough to drink all this water, or is it just a mindless habit?

Typically if something is in front of me, I'll just drink it because that's what I do. I piss my girlfriend off all the time because she'll bring drinks somewhere and she gets like 3 sips of it because once it's been opened, it's fair game for me. I almost think its a habit more than anthing. I've always drank alot since I was really young, I think it's more of a mindset than a craving for it. But I do get used to it and if I don't drink say a half gallon of water I feel like I'm not getting what I need and I crave it after that. Am I addicted to water? Anyone have the number for h20holic's annoymous haha

Unless you're still thirsty even after drinking all that, you shouldn't have any cause for concern. I drink at least a gallon of water plus ancillary liquids. Keeps me from being tired - if I'm even a little underhydrated I get sleepy.

Typically if something is in front of me, I'll just drink it because that's what I do. I piss my girlfriend off all the time because she'll bring drinks somewhere and she gets like 3 sips of it because once it's been opened, it's fair game for me. I almost think its a habit more than anthing. I've always drank alot since I was really young, I think it's more of a mindset than a craving for it. But I do get used to it and if I don't drink say a half gallon of water I feel like I'm not getting what I need and I crave it after that. Am I addicted to water? Anyone have the number for h20holic's annoymous haha


Actually, you can be "addicted" to drinking water...psychogenic polydipsia though in your case, assuming you don't have schizophrenia, it is more likely habit polydipsia. But good idea to have the doc check you out first.

Actually, you can be "addicted" to drinking water...psychogenic polydipsia though in your case, assuming you don't have schizophrenia, it is more likely habit polydipsia. But good idea to have the doc check you out first.


Wow. Where are all these diseases coming from all of a sudden? Polydipsia, RLS, etc. We used to just call it hypochondria in my day! Regardless, I bet Pfizer has a pill for it!

That is an awful large volume of water....ever been checked for diabetes?

It is a symptom however you would be peeing all the time anyway (diabetes or not) with that much water. If your water consumption is "normal" (closer to 8 glasses/day) and you are still peeing a lot, that is a sure sign...however, if this were the case you would also be dropping body mass and experience fatigue...

Wow. Where are all these diseases coming from all of a sudden? Polydipsia, RLS, etc. We used to just call it hypochondria in my day! Regardless, I bet Pfizer has a pill for it!


Polydipsia isn't a disease it is a description. Polydipsia just means you drink a lot. And yes, I bet Pfizer does have a pill for type II diabetes. Those bastards!

But if this is just habit polydipsia, there is nothing that needs to be done other than making sure he eats plenty of minerals.

Type II diabetes has been around a long time, and wasn't mentioned in my "attempt to amuse" post. Take a pill, bro. :)

Type II diabetes has been around a long time, and wasn't mentioned in my "attempt to amuse" post. Take a pill, bro. :)


You did mention polydipsia which is often related to diabetes. I work in the biotech industry and it gets really old when people declare there is some kind of conspiracy to make up diseases that we just magically have a pill for. There are plenty of real diseases that need treatment. You may have just been kidding, but there are plenty of people who aren't joking and honestly believe there is a conspiracy. But people that paranoid probably need to take a pill more than anyone else... ;)

Don't freak out. I drink over a gallon of water a day. Plus, other stuff. I have for years. I do it slowly throughout the day. No I'm not a mental case or diabetic.

Just make sure your not skimping on the salt and take your vitamins. Definately don't over do it all at once - especially when you are biking or running hard. It can be fatal.

During the week I will keep this habit up then on the weekends I drink like a normal American - or Southern American (sweet tea, soda, lemon water, coffee, white lightning).

I drink quite a bit. When I exercise, I sweat profusely.

On long bicycle rides in hot weather, I can get hyponatriumia which is also called "water intoxication". I sweat a bunch because my body seems to think that sweating an absurd amount is a great way to cool me off. It doesn't really work in humid central FL but my body will not listen. So I drink water to make up the difference. On long hot rides, I carry a source of sodium and devour it at rest stops (it is called table salt). If I am proactive with that, I can usually avoid problems with hyponatriumia.

But I live in Central Florida which might be the sweat capital of the nation. I am the only rider I know who has ever had this problem and I don't have it very often. I have to ride over 60 miles and ride hard on a hot day to get into trouble.

By the way, the symptoms of hyponatriumia and heat exhaustion (dehydration) are similar. Most people have seen far more cases of heat exhaustion than hyponatriumia and they will usually think that hyponatriumia is heat exhaustion. They treat the hyponatriumia as heat exhaustion and that mistake can be fatal for the victim.

If your pee'in more than twice a day and its clear your drinking to much.

2 times a day and clear.

remember, we are ~80% saline, not 80% water. You need the proper electrolyte intake to balance all the water out. When you pee, you are peeing out more than just water. There is always electrolytes and minerals, used by your body as buffers to normalize your pH and energy gradients.
You can drink that much if balanced well with potassium, sodium, minerals.
A CBC will let you know of specific deficiencies.

If your pee'in more than twice a day and its clear your drinking to much.

2 times a day and clear.Ooooh, don't waste your precious bodily fluids. I don't drink much at all, and I pee twice a night! If you don't get up twice, you're dehydrated. That's my rule. Every two hours while riding. But don't just swill it down. I seldom drink plain water and never soft drinks. Juice, protein drink, a little coffee. Fruit and vegetables are mostly water and they come with built-in electrolytes. So get a lot of those. The dietitians are backing off the 8 glasses of water business. You ever see aboriginals drinking 8 glasses of water/day? I don't think so. Be like them. Eat fruit and vegetables all day. Celebrate your hunt by eating your kill. Or bring that roadkill home if it's still warm. Or just have a glass of protein drink! :)