Looking for a calculator that tells you how much water you should drink in a day? Use this easy-to-use liquid requirement calculator to find out! Hydration is a key component of performance and everyday health. Don’t start another workout dehydrated and find out how much you should be drinking for optimal performance:
| Bodyweight (KG) | How Much Water to Drink with 1 hour of physical activity per day (ml) |
| 50 | 2500 |
| 60 | 2850 |
| 70 | 3200 |
| 80 | 3550 |
| 90 | 3900 |
| 100 | 4250 |
| 110 | 4600 |
| 120 | 4950 |
| 130 | 5300 |
| 140 | 5650 |
| 150 | 6000 |
Use the calculator above to determine how much water to drink based on your activity level and weight. Heavier people need to drink more than lighter people because our bodies are 50-70% water. The more mass, the more water is required to maintain homeostasis. Research on hydration from the Annals of Family Medicine has found that chronically dehydrated people also tended to have higher BMIs and higher risk for obesity.
Yes. Children need to drink less since they are smaller. Older people (especially those suffering from cardiovascular disease) should ensure they are consistently hydrated. This is because dehydration causes blood to thicken, which in turn causes the heart to have to work harder. Medications can also affect the need to hydrate properly. Additionally, some research suggests that the ability to regulate temperature deteriorates with age. Research from the International Journal of Preventive Medicine and The Journal of Physiology on fluid intake and aging found that, since hydration is a critical mechanism for the body to regulate temperature, proper hydration for older adults becomes even more critical.
Yes! Hot and humid climates will cause you to sweat more, which increases your hydration needs. Somewhat counterintuitively, colder climates also require more fluid intake since colder air needs to be warmed and moistened before it reaches our lungs, which saps our body’s fluid stores. Additionally, wearing many clothing layers to stay warm can cause us to sweat more and maybe even not know it due to the cold.
Drinking too much water can disrupt your body’s fluid balance and lead to hyponatremia, a potentially life-threatening condition. Your body can only process 1000ml of fluid per hour, so drinking more than that can place an additional load on your body. Spread fluid intake throughout the day instead of trying to “catch up” to a fluid intake goal all at once. If you’re drinking a lot and become dizzy or begin to vomit, you are likely encountering hyponatremia.
Not necessarily. Drinks like coffee and soda can count towards your total daily fluid intake. However, caffeine does have a diuretic effect, meaning it causes the need to urinate more frequently.
Yes! Foods high in water content like cucumbers, watermelons, etc., all count towards your total daily fluid intake requirement. It can be hard to gauge all of the fluid in food, so using urine color or other methods of tracking hydration status are beneficial. In short, a diet high in fruits and vegetables will also help you stay on top of your hydration needs.
Hydrating correctly and effectively can be an essential part of a weight-loss strategy. For example, drinking a glass of water before meals can help prevent overeating. This is because water takes up volume in the stomach. This leaves less room to fill with food; therefore, you will feel “full” even by eating fewer calories.
Drinking consistently throughout the day has a similar effect to drinking a glass of water just before a meal. You will feel more consistently full despite eating fewer calories throughout the day. Staying hydrated can be an excellent strategy to reduce snack cravings or mindless eating habits.
Drinking carbonated water takes up more volume in the stomach than still water. This means it makes you feel fuller even though the “fullness” is just air. Carbonated water can help fight powerful snack cravings. Try drinking some with meals or during times of the day when snacking or stress-eating is common. Additionally, flavored water can help replace snacking. The flavor can trick your brain into thinking it is getting a satiating snack.
Yes! Urine should be lightly yellow-tinted if you are drinking enough water. Urine that is brown or darker color indicates you should drink a glass of water or two. Other shades of urine like red or orange can be caused by eating food like beets or foods with dye in them. Red urine can also indicate blood in the urine, which you should quickly speak with your doctor about.
Colorless urine indicates that you may be drinking too much, which can lead to hyponatremia. Colorless urine may be acceptable if you are excited and well-hydrated before a big event where you want to be very hydrated to get the best performance possible.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding increase how much water people should drink. Pregnancy increases blood volume, metabolism, and the need for hormonal regulation. Adequate hydration influences all of those things.
Morning sickness also increases the need to drink more since you lose fluid and electrolytes through vomiting. Drinking enough water can also help reduce swelling and help ease constipation and hemorrhoids.
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