We’ve all heard that drinking more water is important for staying healthy, and we’ve often seen people drinking multiple litres of water in one go.
As per The Guardian, Lewis Halsey, an environmental physiology professor recently argued that concerns about needing to drink a lot of water have been overstated and hyped up more than necessary.
Halsey, who is studying how sweating and drinking affect body temperature said, “It’s a tricky one. Obviously people can become dehydrated. We are set up to have quite a high water turnover rate: we sweat it out to keep cool, and we therefore need to recover those fluids. However, we can, at least in the short or even medium term, lose quite a lot of fluids and be fine.”
He explained that the amount of water a person needs to drink can differ from one individual to another and it’s not the same for everyone and depends on several factors.
People who are larger or more active generally require more water because they use more energy and sweat more.
While, those with low body fat, whether due to being very slim or having more muscle, also need extra water because muscle contains more water than fat, and more of their body needs hydration.
Similarly, people in drier climates need more water as they lose more moisture through breathing.
Professor Halsey advices people to drink water when they feel thirsty, rather than trying to meet a specific water intake goal.
He further warned that drinking more than a litre of water per hour while at rest can be harmful to your body.
