How much water should you be drinking?
How much water should you be drinking?
(Jan 2025)
We all know we should drink water – but how much? Y Southland Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer Camila Peres Armelin has compiled some key info from different websites (referenced below) to share some insights with you about how much water you should be drinking. Check out what she found out here:
The optimal amount of water you should drink daily is very individual and depends on many factors like your age, height, weight, gender, activity level, and ambient temperature (weather).
Water is important because it keeps every system in the body functioning properly.
Benefits of drinking water:
- Carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- Flushing bacteria from your bladder
- Aiding digestion
- Preventing constipation
- Normalising blood pressure
- Protecting organs and tissues
- Regulating body temperature
- Maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance
- Gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements
- Keeps your temperature normal
- Lubricates and cushions joints
There are other fluid sources such as coffee, tea, juice, fruits, and vegetables that you could include in your daily consumption. Still, water is the best source since it has no calories.
The best test to check that you are adequately hydrated is that you go to the toilet regularly and by checking the colour of your urine.
- pale yellow: hydrated
- dark yellow: dehydrated
- looks like water: overhydrated
How to calculate how much water you should drink?
| Teenagers till 17 years old | 40 ml per kg |
| Adults from 18 to 55 years old | 35 ml per kg |
| Adults 55 to 65 years old | 30 ml per kg |
| 66 years old + | 25 ml per kg |
The following table provides water/fluids recommendations for adults in general.
Alcohol has a strong dehydrating effect, so should not be considered part of your daily fluid intake.
If you don’t drink enough water each day, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include urine that’s dark yellow in colour, weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, or confusion.
References:
English:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/water
https://nutritionfoundation.org.nz/nutrition-facts/nutrients/fluid/
Portuguese: