Hydration Myths: Busted

How much water do you really need?

With the scorching temperatures this summer there has been a lot of talk about the importance of staying well hydrated. With that, there is also a lot of misinformation out there, so I thought I’d set the record straight here on some common hydration myths.

Myth #1: Everyone needs eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

Fact: That widely quoted number is has no scientific basis whatsoever. Apparently, someone made it up at some point, and it caught on. The amount of fluid you need for optimal hydration depends on many variables including the climate you are in and how active you are, so it cannot be pinned it down to one universal number. 

On average though, The Dietary Reference Intakes from the Institute of Medicine says the intake of total beverages for adequate hydration in temperate climates is 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women ---emphasis on the words total beverages and temperate climates.

It’s not just water that counts toward hydration--- milk, juice, soft drinks, and (spoiler alert for myth # 3) even coffee and tea, all do the trick.

I’d hardly call this summer’s triple digit weather in much of the country temperate. In this heat, you could need a lot more, but it depends on your circumstances. According to a National Academy of Sciences report: “Very active individuals who are continually exposed to hot weather often have daily total water needs of six liters or more, according to several studies.” Conversely, if you are mostly sitting around in an air-conditioned space, you’d need a lot less than that. How do you know if you are getting enough? Read on.