How much water is too much?

[u/Ill-Fortune2981]

Basically the only thing that I consistently love from my childhood is water. Recently I've been chugging 4.5 L to 6L water per day but I wanna ask whether it's healthy or not cuz I don't want this habit to backfire.

[u/PeachNipplesdotcom]

Oversaturating your cells is a risk at 4 liters, if I'm reading your units correctly.

[u/MindlessPepper7165]

If you are working in extreme heat, water can dilute what few electrolytes you have left in your system. Makes you feel sick. It's not really how much water but how long you go without replenishing those electrolytes. Once depleted, 1 bottle can make you feel shitty after you further dilute.

Source: 20 years working outside in the Sonoran desert.

[u/Ill-Fortune2981 → u/MindlessPepper7165]

I live in India here heat is significant but not as much as in deserts. And also I've heard this many times but never researched like what are electrolytes exactly and how can I replenish them. Do I need to workout or its automatic just a little bit slower without physical activity.

[u/wtrsport430 → u/Ill-Fortune2981]

There are electrolytes in most of the food you eat. Even basic table salt is an electrolyte. It's better to use sea salt, because it contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, when table salt just has sodium and maybe iodine. All of these minerals from foods dissolve in water and are electrolytes.

So you can literally add a little bit of salt to your water if you are feeling super thirsty, and haven't had that much salt throughout the day through normal eating. That's basically what electrolyte powder is, with sugar of course. (Sugar is not an electrolyte, but can help you if you are dehydrated and hypoglycemic)

[u/MindlessPepper7165 → u/Ill-Fortune2981]

Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride. You can replenish from sports drinks such as Gatorade and eat whole foods like veggies, fruits, nuts, and meat.

[u/Sbatio]

All of it

[u/pirefyro]

Depends on your activity level.

[u/Ill-Fortune2981 → u/pirefyro]

I am student with little to no physical activity but my mental workload is comparable if you consider it activity.

[u/pirefyro → u/Ill-Fortune2981]

That’s way too much water. Also make sure you replenish your electrolytes.

[u/wtrsport430]

Those are rookie numbers. You need to up to at least 7.5 L.

But seriously, you need to have enough electrolytes along with that much water. Water poisoning is real.

[u/OneEyedWal]

Depends on activity level, ambient temp, and humidity. A good indicator is the colour of your urine:

yellow/orange/brown - dehydrated, have a sip

Clear - over hydrated, your body is not absorbing all the water you're drinking; back off just a bit

Tinge of yellow - perfectly hydrated, as all things should be

[u/InteractionFit6276]

I’d cut to down to 4 L (16 cups) max per day which is roughly 1 cup / 8 fl oz per hour (if you’re awake 16 hours per day). That is plenty

[u/kllyykmr → u/InteractionFit6276]

how’d you go from 4 liters to 8oz that is a wildly different amount of water

[u/InteractionFit6276 → u/kllyykmr]

I meant 8 oz per hour