The Importance of Hydration
Is drinking the right amount of water really all THAT important?
It shouldn’t shock anyone to hear my answer is yes.
But how much water should you actually take in a day?
Per Pelvic Health recommendations, we like to abide by the 50% rule; you should drink 50% of your body weight in fluid ounces A DAY. This is at your base level of function, so not counting exercise, heat exposure, alcohol, or other extenuating things in your day.
Of that 50%, 2/3 AT LEAST should be water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, every day you should drink at least 75 ounces of fluid, ideally 50 of those ounces being pure water.
So if you ARE exercising, are a very sweaty person, or live somewhere generally warm, how should you adjust?
Per research standards, for every 10-20 minutes of exercise, you should replenish your fluids with 7-10 ounces. If you ever played sports in the south and were weighed before and after practice, some numbers should ring a ball - after exercise, you are supposed to drink 16-24 ounces of fluid per every pound lost in activity.
What if I feel like I have to pee, ALL. THE. TIME?!
A lot of people, and physicians, will refer to this group as having an “overactive bladder”, when the truth is for most people it’s a matter of maladaptive habits rather than true bladder issues. The common fallacy for people with seemingly “overactive” bladders is to drink LESS water - DO NOT DO THIS.
IT IS A TRAP.
OK FINE. What should I do instead?
First, make sure you are drinking the APPROPRIATE amount of water - more isn’t worse, but definitely don’t drink LESS than the recommended amount.
What can inadequate water intake do to your bladder?
At baseline, your body has a degree of fluid in it that can be irritating to the bladder walls because it is a concentrated amount of urine. Drinking fluids, particularly water, helps dilute the solution which decreases the amount the fluid irritates the bladder walls. Once you have a sufficient amount of fluid, basically once the bladder fills, it also gets irritated and tells your brain that you have to empty.
However, if you are not taking in enough fluids, the fluid can stay concentrated, and therefore stays irritating to the bladder lining, creating the same sensation of needing to go to the bathroom.
What other systems are affected by fluid loss, and how much does it take?
As little as a 1% fluid loss can lead to an increased heart rate.
As little as 2% fluid loss can lead to dehydration.
Am I drinking TOO MUCH water?
If you are drinking more than 1 gallon of water a day (and weigh less than 200 pounds), aren’t participating in rigorous activity, and are frustrated with the number of times you have to go to the bathroom, then you may be taking in too much fluid. There are plenty of people who drink LOADS of water a day, but are not bothered by the amount of times they go to the bathroom - I’m not speaking to those people. I’m speaking to those who are increasingly disrupted in life due to their bathroom trips, this may be a sign of other pathologies.
