How to tell if you are adequately hydrated

#2

One thing I’ve never worried about myself. If anything, I drink too much! :smile:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

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… having a dry mouth or merely feeling thirsty is a pretty good indicator, too.

(Doug) #4

Will testify that age also makes a difference, as the article mentions. I would think cumulative sun exposure likely has a significant input as well.

(Richard Morris) #5

I think we need a youngdoug as a control and to do that experiment :slight_smile:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

Though it should be noted that, under the influence of sport drink manufacturers, there is advice out there to the effect that by the time we feel thirsty it’s too late—we are already dangerously dehydrated. (Fortunately, even back in my carb-burning days I knew that, at least, was nonsense.)

#7

Of course my skin goes back right away, I didn’t even know it’s not the case for everyone…

Thirst is a bad indicator. I am thirsty almost all the time, especially in this heatwave. I am never dehydrated and never in my life worried about that.
So it was always very obvious to me that thirst can’t mean anything bad. It’s a normal sign anyway… It would be quite odd if it wouldn’t mean “you need water, go and drink” but “you are almost dead due to thirst”.
Some people’s thirst sign is messed up, we know that, they are the ones who need to be careful. I respond to my thirst so it’s okay.

(David Cooke) #8

“you have to squeeze your fingertip right [on the knuckle],”. Sorry, I don’t have knuckles on my fingertips.

#9

Shinita is right…most people on this crap food have thirst signal issues and probably are dehydrated and malnourished and more easily.

I am always hydrated…I drink a full bottle or 2 of water when I wake…this is my ‘coffee time’ LOL and then I drink water all day long…I used to hate water, now I crave water! My body says drink I drink :slight_smile: But I move alot and hot weather I sweat alot and I know me on water…but like Shinita mentioned I don’t think alot of people have a clue about the truth what water and good food do give us, smart ones respond to thrist drinking water…some respond with a 5 kcal latte drink from Starbucks, others slam down tons of fruit juice or that big ol’ bottle of soda! ugh.

water water everywhere and most drink sludge LOL

ut oh…I ranted a bit HAHA

(Carole) #10

Me too. The doc said that’s why my sodium is low

(Joey) #11

Love it.
Clinical trials, anyone?

(Edyth Ekmark) #12

I think that cumulative sun exposure likely has a significant input as well.

(Elaine) #13

If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Per Mayo Clinic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/want-to-stay-hydrated-drink-before-youre-thirsty/art-20390077

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #14

Nonsense. Ignoring thirst or being insensitive to it may be issues as pointed out by @Shinita above.

Also noted above. I wonder how much funding Mayo Clinic gets from sports drink companies.

#15

Yeah, sure because 4 liter water a day (+food) makes me dehydrated (I feel very fine with half as much on a normal day)… Never was as thirsty (all day) than when I drank that amount out of curiosity… But I am thirsty all the time anyway. I can’t help it. And it’s fine and dandy until I miss 3-4 hours!!! No amount of water can make me not parched then…

I may be an anomaly but I can’t imagine normal people never get thirsty if they drink properly… People who believe this and drink diligently, NEVER experience thirst? Well, they should have some properly working family members or something who do at least…
(But we know it’s probably just business as basically always is.)

Maybe I wrote these before but well, I felt the need to balance out things a little…

I wonder how I could avoid thirst, I am very often thirsty and drink ALL DAY. I don’t go for a small walk without a bottle (something many people find wrong saying I am supposed to be okay not drinking for an hour but I don’t care, I get thirsty. I can survive 1.5 hours but it’s not always nice and I can’t run that way, it can’t be hot etc.).
I go cycling and I stop several times per hour to drink… How on earth could I drink more I don’t know but as I wrote, I tried and was super thirsty all day… Sometimes I reach the point that I am parched but I can’t drink more as I am borderline overhydrated and my body doesn’t allow going beyond that. I probably often feel something related my throat, not hydration when I get thirsty. Whatever, it urges me to drink! Good think I drink a little so I can drink very often without overhydration.
(Never would drink salty water, it’s always pure water, never caused a problem but see above, my body is smart.)

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #16

That is a canard put about by the sports drink industry. As Dr. Tim Noakes, the noted marathoner and sports physiologist, puts it: Drink to thirst.

(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.) #17

Our body has these amazing signals built in…

If you’re hungry you need food…

If you’re thirsty you need water…

(Doug) #18

Also, as long as your urine is fairly light in color, you’re usually good.

(Edith) #19

I think thirst is like eating. If you are hungry, eat. If you are not hungry, don’t eat. If you are thirsty drink, if you are not thirsty don’t drink. Urine that is pale so that it looks almost like water means over hydration.

#20

Drink to thirst advocate here :slight_smile:

We aren’t dehydrated or less than on just drinking when we need water, but we are TOLD thru advertising you are LOL and to drink this crap and that crap for ultimate performance and hydration…ugh

#21

It’s funny, I was just sitting here taking a break between a couple of large projects I’m working on, and just starting thinking about what is true thirst, hunger, etc. And actually just posted something along the same lines in the IF/EF Fasting thread. Basically speaking about how food smells, sights, etc. can make one break a Fast. And I get how/why some folks don’t even want to speak about foods for that reason.

But I was also just about to create a thread speaking about Hunger. … But as to ‘hydration’ I remember reading post where this was talked about, and it was mentioned that the words 'hydration, hydrate, etc. started being used more-so over just simply ‘thirst or thirsty’ when the selling of water became such a big deal. (I also have to mention that ‘buying’ water, is one of my only pet peeves. I HATE hate buying water! - It’s a commodity that I have always felt should be free & here it’s gotten so big for some folks.

A simple web search provides so much data, that none would ever be able to traverse it all. Such as the example shown below. … Nearly 8 million results? :flushed:

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And when I looked at the water bottle I have sitting on the desk, I read the advert they love to stamp on all their products, explaining why ‘their’ product is just the bestest, grandest, thing ever, etc. I just shake my head. - Yep, I bought this one last week when I was out scoping/engineering a couple sites, and had accidentally left my ‘Glass’ refillable water bottle on my desk when I left. - So I do occasionally have buy one such as this, and simply use it for quite a while refilling it at home or the office. To which I generally also hear how one should not do this because it’s plastic, etc. I’ve also read up on this of course, but I also don’t leave them sitting out in direct sunlight, etc. And it hasn’t killed me yet, so, yeah…

But I do probably use the color of my urine as basically the only thing that brings hydration to mind.

Oh, and here’s that silly advert I spoke of. Not from mine, since a quick search provided one close to what mine says, and not sure I could get a clear image for posting. … But mine also adds; they one-up’d nature by adding electrolytes for a crisp, clean taste.

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