Daily Intake Of Water For Men
Ever wondered how much water to drink a day? Well, if you’re a gent, then you actually need more water than women do, on average.
In total, 60% of your body weight is comprised of water—it’s pretty important to stay drink enough water, if for nothing else, just to maintain your current physical health.
But there are a lot of variables to consider. Your activity level, your weight, and your lifestyle choices.
On average, a man of a fair weight (165 lbs to 185 lbs) is about nine cups in a single day. That’s 72 fluid ounces, or the equivalent of a half-gallon and an additional cup.
If you’ve ever seen a guy carrying around a half-gallon or even a full gallon jug or tumbler, then they’re already a few steps ahead of you. It’s a lot of water to consume, and it comes with some sacrifices that we’re going to get into in just a minute. Let’s go through some of the variables.
It Depends On Your Activity Level
The more active you are, the more water you need to drink. That’s because your body expresses water through your pores in the form of sweat.
If you run every day, you’re going to expel more water. A thirty-minute run in the morning isn’t going to dehydrate you beyond repair, it just means you should add one extra cup of water to your RDA (recommended daily allowance).
While running, your stomach utilizes consumed water at an accelerated rate. If you run for an hour straight, your body would go through about 28 oz of water. Drinking too much water (no matter how thirsty you are) is a bad idea, because it can bring on hyponatremia and overhydration, which you want to avoid at all costs.
Basically, add one extra cup of water to your diet for every thirty minutes of high intensity exercise. That high intensity exercise shouldn’t exceed more than one hour per day, so your RDA could go from 72 oz up to 88 oz.
Weight Is A Factor
Activity affects how much water you need, but so does inactivity. If you have a higher BMI, you also need to consume extra water, even if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. Desk jobs and telecommuting can do that to people.
For every two additional BMI points you are, you should consume 4 oz more water in a day. It’s not an excessive jump, but it ensures your joints will remain lubricated, and you’ll avoid the risk of injuries that are associated with a higher BMI and dehydration working in tandem.
If your activity levels increase, you are going to shed some “water weight.” Because of your higher BMI, you’ll need to drink more water. If you need to consume 84 oz of water per day, you can add that extra 16 oz (with appropriate activity level increases) to total 100 oz.
A healthy BMI range mixed with moderate levels of activity require 70 oz to 90 oz (depending on the conditions) of water for your body to function normally on a day-to-day basis. Adjust accordingly.
Diet Is Surely Affecting Your Water Consumptions
Do you drink coffee? Billions of people do. Despite people saying “Coffee makes you dehydrated,” there’s a truth bomb that we need to drop on that.
Coffee itself does not dehydrate you. Think of all the water that goes into it; it’s not dehydrating you.
But it is a diuretic, which stimulates your bladder and kidney function to flush out waste faster. You urinate more frequently throughout the day, and that expedited waste removal process can dehydrate you.
So I would argue that if all you drink is coffee throughout the day, yes, you could experience some dehydration because you’re not supplementing it with water.
High sodium diets are also a big concern for retaining water. High levels of sodium cause swelling in your joints, and that’s because the salt is basically holding onto the water. Ever heard of someone shedding water weight? That’s not water that your body is currently using as a nutritional basis; it’s just kind of trapped in the water.
You can have coffee, so long as you’re having your RDA of water. Keep sodium to a minimum (which is far easier said than done), and you’ll be on the straight and narrow to a more hydrated life.
Time To Amp It Up
Now that you know the facts, it’s time to amp up your water consumption, and get back to a healthier, more stable condition.
Drinking ample amounts of water:
- Lubricate your joints to alleviate symptoms of RA
- Helps maintain body temperature
- Keeps blood pressure in check
- Makes your skin look and feel healthy
- Flush body waste and regulate bladder control
- Creates saliva, which aids in digestion
There’s so many more reasons than what I’ve just listed, so what are you waiting for? Grab a half-gallon tumbler, or at least a bottle of water, bring it with you throughout the day, and try to skip the coffee if you can avoid it.
