Drinking lots of water Fact or Myth?

[TSandM]

You have to remember where we evolved . . . Living on the plains of Africa was not a situation where large amounts of water were readily at hand, and the weather was hot. The kidneys are beautifully designed to cope with a relatively arid environment and a small minimum fluid intake per day, although there is a minimum required to remove metabolic byproducts from the body. Between that minimum and the point at which urine is maximally dilute, there may be some advantage to increasing fluid intake, and this may be particularly true for divers. It's certainly true for people who form kidney stones, who have a pathological handling of calcium in the kidney.

Beyond the point of maximally dilute urine, there is probably no benefit to pushing fluids, which is what the article referenced in the original post is saying. Maximally dilute urine is reached well before the volumes of water intake which are urged by any number of sources. In addition, many other fluids are just as good as water for increasing volume status and diluting urine. Although things like fruit juices have the issues with calories, and high caffeine intakes have their own problems, those fluids still contribute to hydration.

I'm a water snob -- I won't drink the stuff if it tastes bad. And I really deplore the millions of plastic bottles that go into landfills these days so that we can drink good-tasting water.

 

[Peter Guy]

And she means it about being a water snob!

We're on a well but years ago put in the line to connect to City Water -- but she has refused to finish the connection because she doesn't like the taste.

Oh well.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Perhaps we need to redefine "plenty"...
When I say "plenty of water" I mean perhaps 12 - 16 ounces on a normal surface interval - a daily rate of about two to three liters - plus more when it's hot and sweat needs replacing. I'll have my two or three cups of morning coffee as well (yeah, coffee's awful ) I don't see "liter after liter after liter" as having any additional benefit over "adequate hydration."
Rick

Insufficiently hydrated can exacerbate the onset of DCS, but does overhydration retard it???

I watch people on dive boats drinking litre after liter after litre of water.

Then they pee in their wetsuits.

It's insufficient hydration that MAY increase the onset of DCS.

The body can use only so much water.

It's not as if you're playing in the superbowl when you go diving.

I know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but how much cure does one neet to prevent by drinking a freakin gallon of water???'

the K

 

[Dive Junky]

Does this mean I didnt need that pee valve after all?

 

[Fotoz4FX]

There is no proof that the study was not manipulated. There is no proof that it was manipulated... therefore believe what you will based on your own analogies of your benefits by drinking water.

I myself feel that since my body is approximately 3/4 SALT water... I don't much care for the concept of 8/8 since that is a dilution of my life force. I drink because I'm thirsty... I'm 57, still diving, in better health than most my age and I don't give water the credit.

... much less the science. I just listen to my body... if it wants carrots, I eat them.

 

[RonFrank]

I try and keep adequately hydrated at all times. If my pee is relatively clear, I'm generally going to be hydrated. If it's yellow, I tend to go fill the water bottle. I'm a desk jockey, but I still drink water throughout the day.

When diving, I don't drink an excessive amount of water, but I make sure I'm hydrated throughout the day. If it's hot, and I'm sweating in the sun, I drink more.

One does not have to go overboard to maintain good hydration. I think it helps to keep hydrated at all times, IOW's have it nearby, and drink when thirsty and often. On a typical dive day I may drink 8~16 oz. between each dive. I rarely pee in my wetsuit, never in my drysuit!

I have seen people who seem to go WAY overboard. I guess too much is better than too little. I've watched guys down three or four bottles on a SI. You KNOW they gost to pee like a race horse when they splash! :11:

 

[dpbishop]

It's not the DCS, it's the hangovers. The more water I drink, the more wine and/or beer I can drink without adverse effects the next morning.

 

[RonFrank]

The problem is studies like this is how it's reported. This study was on drinking EXCESSIVE amounts of water.

Our crack pot news completely left out that fact, and just reported that drinking water has no health benefits. That is not true, and what they should have reported is that drinking excessive amounts beyond X is what the study focused on.

Try going without water or other hydrating liquids for a few days, and see how healthy you are! :11:

 

[cdiver2]

The problem is studies like this is how it's reported. This

study was on drinking EXCESSIVE amounts of water.

Our crack pot news completely left out that fact

, and just reported that drinking water has no health benefits. That is not true, and what they should have reported is that drinking excessive amounts beyond X is what the study focused on.

Try going without water or other hydrating liquids for a few days, and see how healthy you are! :11:

FIRST FOUR LINES

Lots of water 'is little benefit'

Dehydration can cause serious damage
UK experts say research which finds drinking lots of water does little to improve health should not discourage people from topping up regularly.