The Value Of Hydration

How much water should you drink?

My wife tells me I drink TOO much water, but I’ve been drinking nearly a gallon of water a day every day since 1997. For me, I truly believe the benefits are extremely positive. I feel staying hydrated the way I do, I avoid illness and I help myself maintain weight loss.

There’s no doubt water is critical to your health as our bodies are made up of 60 to 70 percent water. If you aggressively exercise, you need to supplement the water your body loses due to excessive sweat.

I thought I would address this topic as there has more recently been information released from studies to show that drinking too much water may not be all that healthy. I think these two articles from the http://www.mayoclinic.com/ and http://www.about.com/ provide an accurate balance of information on this topic --http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/a/waterarticle.htm

Also, one very important recommendation I make in coaching – always make sure you provide a cooler of water at every practice for young athletes. You never know who might forget a water bottle and it’s too important not to have water available for everyone!