Does the water in green tea count toward your daily total?

#1

Does the water in green tea count toward your daily total of eight 8 oz glasses?

(Empress of the Unexpected) #2

I believe so. I use chronometer, and it accounts for water in all foods, drinks.

(Brian) #3

I think quite a few here have decided that the whole “eight 8-oz glasses” thing can be safely left behind. Drink when you’re thirsty.

To actually answer your question, though, yes.

(Terence Dean) #4

The problem with that, is once you’re thirsty its already too late but perhaps for some people 8 glasses may be too much, it really depends on what you’re likely to be doing for the day. If you sweat a lot you’ll need more, exercise, heavy lifting, etc. Its only a recommendation that 8 glasses a day level, and I don’t always do it but I do find if I’m less than a litre (4 glasses) a day I’ll suffer from constipation.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

This makes no sense. If it were true, the human race would have died out sometime in the past 2,000,000 years. This is like saying that once you’re hungry, it’s too late to eat. Of course the body evolved to get us to take care of ourselves well before “it’s too late.”

So just as we say to eat when you’re hungry and don’t eat when you’re not, I say to drink when you’re thirsty, and don’t drink when you’re not.

(karen) #6

The reason tea might not “count” or count less than water is because of the caffeine in it. The old wisdom was that caffeine (and alcohol) are diuretics, so reduce the available water in the body, but that has apparently been debunked.

(Terence Dean) #7

It makes total sense to me, especially when you are sweating your ass off in the heat, or playing competitive sport where the sweat is pouring off you like a river. If you don’t hydrate before hand you will find out the hard way when you pass out in the middle of the field, with heat stroke. That’s why Australian’s can play sport on 40 C degree days, they hydrate themselves very well before they go onto the field.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

I was thinking of marathon runners who drink something at every water table and end up hospitalized or dead from electrolyte depletion. It’s why Dr. Noakes now says to “drink to thirst.”

(Terence Dean) #9

I agree with Noakes, it is important to keep up the water intake and electrolytes, that’s why we see runners coming on to sports fields keeping their team well hydrated and supplemented with electrolytes. Professional teams these days are well aware of the electrolyte depletion issue. I wasn’t advocating drink 2 litres of water every day when you may actually need 6 litres, it depends entirely on what you are doing. Supplementing lost electrolytes through sweat is a given.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #10

Well… we CAN, but most of us don’t want to, lol! :stuck_out_tongue:

(Terence Dean) #11

Australian supporters at a cricket match don’t seem to have a problem with keeping up fluids on a hot day, they hydrate themselves well before the match, during, after and well into the night when they win! Damn yahoos!! :rofl:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #12

I’m saying if you need 6 litres, you should drink 6 litres, and if you only need 2 litres, you should drink only 2 litres. And as it will with food, your body will also tell you how much to drink, if you listen to it.

I suspect that the reason ruggers feel it necessary to overhydrate before a game, is that they don’t want to have to stop in the middle of a game to quench their thirst. In that situation, drinking a predetermined amount in advance makes some sense; although personally, I would then have to have a time out at some point in the first quarter in order to go wee. So toilet break/thirst break—either way I’d have to stop playing at some point and take care of one bodily need or other.

(Terence Dean) #13

Sorry that’s not how professional teams see it, they deliberately hydrate themselves well before the game. They generally don’t need to go to the toilet during a game because they sweat most of it out.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #14

I live in a place that is over 100 degrees all summer. I go outside, and I swear I lose a quart. I get that one can overhydrate, but I know when I need added water. I probably drink ten glasses a day. No problem with electrolytes.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #15

And I drink before I am thirsty, because I enjoy it.

(Terence Dean) #16

Exactly, it gets to 40+ C in Summer here in Adelaide, and when I know I’m going to be out in the heat for any length of time I will make sure I’m well hydrated before I do that, try working until you feel thirsty and you will keel over, guaranteed!

Dr. Kavouras says…
– Start every day well hydrated
– Check hydration via urine colour
– Don’t wait until you’re thirsty
– Weigh yourself before and after training
– Men should drink 2.5 litres a day
– Match what you sweat to what you drink
Read more at https://www.rugbyworld.com/takingpart/fitness-takingpart/hydration-is-key-13924#dLq8eoSjd16TIGeQ.99