Baseline guidelines for hydration
Foundational Health Series
Hydration FAQ's that we'll tackle:
- How much should I drink each day?
- Is drinking tap water ok?
- Should I be adding electrolytes?
- What's all the hoopla regarding "Hydrogen" Water?
How much should I drink each day?
The average, fairly active person who works out three times per week should be drinking eight or more cups of water each day. For those who are more active, especially those who do more intense endurance training, drinking 11+ cups of water per day should be considered.
Is drinking tap water ok?
Tap water is not preferred as most public water systems in the U.S. contain trace amounts of fluoride and chlorine – among other toxins such as arsenic – which can negatively affect your biome and digestive health. This, it is highly recommended to drink filtered water only. Ideally, you can install a reverse osmosis filtration system in your home. If you live in the U.S., check this map from the EWG to see the water contamination results in your county.
Should I be adding electrolytes?
I personally add a few drops of electrolyte solution to my cups of water throughout the day. The two factors for better understanding whether you should add electrolytes are (1) How active are you and how often are you sweating? (2) Does your diet consist of meals that are high in sodium?
If you're the type of person who isn't sweating a whole lot, and your meals are higher in sodium, you probably shouldn't add electrolytes to your water. For everyone else, we recommend doing so.
According to Danielle Crumble Smith, RDN, sodium works like a magnet to draw water into cells, which is critical for maintaining hydration.
"When you drink water, it goes through your bloodstream and passes into your body's cells, where it is used for different essential functions. However, water relies on a balance of electrolytes, specifically sodium to move in and out of cells properly." - Danielle Crumble Smith, RDN
Celtic sea salt is a popular and affordable choice to add to water as your electrolyte supplement.
What's all the hoopla regarding "Hydrogen" Water?
There's a lot of hype surrounding hydrogen water and more research is emerging about its claimed benefits. BodyStack will be releasing more community articles on this topic in the future. At the time this article was published, we have not encountered any research that has uncovered negative side effects, which means it appears to be safe. We're not convinced that it brings material health benefits, though, as of yet.
Foundational Health - Basic Guidelines Series:
