Alot of us millennials have grown up with the idea that the more water the better. These behaviours have been criticized by both older and younger generations l, so I’m curious;
What do you consider the appropriate amount of water to drink every day? Minimums and maximums.
35-45ml per kg (“Australian Government: National Health Medical Research Council. 2014. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Water”)
Not going to lie, just looked up that reference, but I had heard it originally from a precision nutrition blog if I’m not mistaken and generally recommended the same to clients.
Then it gets more complicated for activity / temperature etc
Edit:
Looked into this more, it seems it’s just scientific consensus rather than a singular paper for the values above. That being said, it’s what’s recommend by a lot of health organisations.
water calculation from
U of Missouri - How to calculate how much water you should drink
Half you weight = ounces of water per day (you weigh 80 lbs = 40 oz of water)
Add 12 oz for every 30 minutes of exercise
Adjust up if you work and sweat in the heat
 
The amount and color of urine can provide a rough estimate of adequate hydration.
Generally the color of urine darkens the more concentrated it is. Sounds gross but go for “lemonade”
My background. I was a military chemical weapons specialist. I had to wear rubber suits in hot weather doing strenuous activity. Separately, I worked in Iraq, outdoors in the summer for 6 years. We had guys literally drop to the ground and some died from dehydration.
That said, its highly personal. Heat, Activity and your ability to process water. Its more about your specific gravity for urine than color. Look up and understand specific gravity.
All of that being said, color is your best indicator. If its yellow, drink water. If you keep drinking water and not peeing, drink more water. If you are peeing every 20 minutes, you can taper back some.
I generally get up in the morning and drink a liter of water outright. Then I follow the “john wayne diet” of black coffee, steak and eggs. Then I drink another glass or two in the afternoon. I average 2 liters of water a day and the coffee, beer, whatever else comes my way.
I would like to add that I recently learned that your kidneys can only process around 1 liter per hour, and overconsumption of water will dilute the sodium levels in your body and can kill you. So don’t go down all your water at once.
I aim for 64oz, or two 32oz jugs a day (8x8oz)…. if I drink any more than that I will literally be peeing all day and won’t get anything done. If I am exercising it might be more than that but, I don’t think by much. Minimum, 8oz x 3 or 24oz a day for like core function which is a normal amount especially if you are busy … I think 32 to 64 oz is healthy.
A big glass of water when you wake up and a big glass of water when you go to bed. Big glass of water with meals. Sip the rest of the day or use a jug and a chime on your phone.
The symptoms of drinking too little are much more subtle and insidious than the symptoms of drinking too much. If you start getting charlie horses and weird muscle cramps for no reason you are drinking too much. You are aiming for your pee to be basically clear. If you are only drinking when you are thirsty then you are not drinking enough, thirst is triggered when there is already a hydration issue.
Seriously, mild water intoxication is super obvious when it happens, talk to any hikers you know as it’s basically guaranteed they have encountered it. Most people are chronically dehydrated not over hydrated.
As an average size NA male I drink app. 5 cups on a cool low activity day. For heat and activity, I let my body tell me. If I feel hungry outside of my normal eating times I know that to be thirst. If I want to flush my system (fasting or to pass thc urinalysis) I drink 4 liters in 2-3 hrs. more than that and I will feel ill. Your body will tell you better than any chart, study or other person can.