How Much Water Should We Drink?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- In an interview with CBS This Morning, Tom Brady said he drinks half of his body weight in ounces in water. That's the equivalent of 115 ounces – or about 15 cups – on the day he's not working out.
But, what about the rest of us? How much water should we drink each day? Good Question.
"The rule of thumb is to listen to your body, if you feel thirsty, drink," says Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant with HCMC Golden Valley.
Our bodies are about 60 percent water. We need to replenish what we lost each day through breathing, sweating and urination.
The National Academy of Sciences recommends men take in 124 ounces (15.5 cups) of water each day. For women, it's 92 ounces (11.5 cups). All of that water doesn't need to come from plain water. People can get some of their fluid intake from fruits and vegetables as well as other liquids.
After accounting for the water people take in from healthy foods, Ikeman says she stands by the 8 cups of water a day rule.
"It's easy to remember that number, so it's pretty accurate," she says.
How much an individual needs depends on their health status, climate, exercise routine, size and sex. Depending on the person and intensity of exercise, someone can lose between three and six cups of water through sweat during an hour of exercise.
Ikeman says coffee, tea, juice, fizzy water, soda and juice can all contribute toward a person's daily water intake.
"All those fluids contain some amount of water, but some of them are high in sugar and high in caffeine," she says. "As long as you're eating healthy foods plus taking in water, water being the best form, but other fluids are OK, then you're probably getting enough."