Water
Is it better to down eight glasses of water in a row, or is it best to wait
awhile then drink one, wait awhile then drink one? I sit at my desk all day so
when I drink water it’s one right after the other. I don’t like drinking past
6:00PM because I’ll have to urinate during the middle of the night.
New Study: Drink THIS Much Water Daily
How much water should you drink every day? The latest study from
researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City concludes
that the old standby of eight glasses a day still holds. Here’s the
surprising gotcha: If you don’t drink enough water, the greatest
effect may not be physical–it’s mental and emotional.
Drink just half the recommended amount of water, and you’ll likely
suffer from mild dehydration. You’ll also have less energy, and you
won’t be able to concentrate and focus as you normally would.
"For people who aren’t exercising a lot or living in a very warm
climate, eight glasses of water a day may be a good rule of thumb,"
lead researcher Dr. Wayne Askew told Reuters. If you do exercise and
sweat a lot, then you need more than eight glasses to properly
hydrate your body.
Our bodies need water, primarily because water makes up more than 70
percent of solid body tissue. It helps regulate body temperature,
carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, removes waste, cushions
joints, and protects organs and tissues, explains Reuters. Too
little water can cause headaches, grogginess, and dry, itchy skin.
When we become severely dehydrated, it can affect our blood
pressure, circulation, digestion, kidney function, and nearly all
body processes.
The experiment: For 12 weeks, 10 thirsty college students each drank
four, eight, or 12 eight-ounce glasses of water per day in four-day
test cycles. Between the test cycles the students consumed the
amount of water they normally would, as well as during one other
week during the study period. The students’ hydration status was
measured at the end of each four-day water consumption cycle. They
also answered questions about their general well being.
The results: Drinking four glasses of water caused the students’
blood plasma volume to fall five percent below those who drank eight
glasses of water. Four glasses of water also produced more highly
concentrated urine. Still, these physical symptoms of dehydration
are considered mild–a suboptimal hydration level. What surprised
the researchers was the effect this mild dehydration had on the
students’ well being. Reuters reports that when students drank the
least amount of water, they reported feeling less energetic and less
focused than when they drank more water.
If eight glasses of water a day is good, is more than that even
better? Probably not, although it won’t hurt you. Those who drank 12
glasses had blood plasma volumes that were 10 percent higher, but
their well being was not impacted positively or negatively.
The findings were presented at the annual Experimental Biology
meeting in San Diego, California.