Water: How much is enough?

Did You Know:

-Being 2% dehydrated can seriously degrade physical and mental functions. Feeling foggy? Grab a glass of water!


-Water is important to fitness and fat loss because:

Dehydration will degrade a person’s ability to exercise and burn calories.

Dehydration will reduce protein synthesis which is needed to build or repair muscles.

Did you know that obese people and older people have a lower percentage of water in their bodies than healthy, younger people and women have a lower water percentage than men? This is for two reasons:
-Muscle is 75% water
-Fat is 20% water
-Women have naturally higher (%) body fat
-Older adults have less muscle mass


The average adult loses approximately 10 cups (80 oz) of water it loses each day through perspiration, the kidney/bladder system, bowel movements and the respiratory system.

When exposed to extreme temperatures—very hot or very cold—your body uses more water to maintain its normal temperature.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding increase the amount of fluid a woman’s body needs.

High fiber diets require extra water to process the additional roughage and prevent constipation.

So how much is enough? The answer may surprise you. It's B! According to registered dietitian Jacqualine Maillet, M.S., you have consumed enough water when your urine is the color of light lemonade. Dark yellow and clear are extremes and you should adjust your intake accordingly. Checking your urine output is the best way to tell if you are properly hydrated, so make sure that when you are in extreme conditions or under duress, you check before you flush!