(Warning: Boring subject ahead) All about water!

I was trying to think of a clever title for this post, but there isn't much you can do with water. As per most things I post about, there are varying opinions on how much water you should be drinking per day. The old rule is 8 glasses (8 oz.) per day, and that's still probably okay. However, if you're working out you definitely need more. My book gives me the following guidelines:

17-20 oz 1-2 hours before you work out (body needs time to circulate it)
7-10 oz every 20 minutes while working out
16-24 oz after working out

So, potentially an additional 64 oz for a 40 minute workout. Sounds a little excessive to me, unless you are sprinting that entire 40 minutes. It's true that you need to stay hydrated, but it also depends on what you're doing and a whole bunch of other factors. Listen to your body. If you feel thirsty, drink. But what you can take from these guidelines is that you do need water before, during, and after a workout. When you sweat, that's water leaving your body that needs to be replaced (our bodies are something like 70% water!). Too little water can cause cramping during physical activities as well as other more serious symptoms. As necessary as water is for life, you can also have too much. When you're getting into the 150 oz range, you will likely start to retain some of it on your body (bloating), especially if you've been eating higher amounts of carbs and sodium, two things that hold on to water for dear life. And in super extreme cases, too much water can lead to hospitalization and worse.

What if you've grown bored of water? I certainly do! Some of your water intake can be replaced by tea (hot or cold), preferably unsweetened and fresh brewed. I've heard different things on whether or not coffee counts. On one hand, it's water based. But it's also a huge diuretic, which is the opposite of what you want when you are trying to hydrate. I personally don't count it, and I actually drink a glass of water in the morning with my coffee to counteract that effect. Fruit is also a good way to get some water in a tastier form. Watermelon, tomatoes, berries, and apples have a high water content and also have some fiber to fill you up.

Bottom line: I try to stay around the 80 oz mark for water per day when I do either no workout or a light one. If I'm doing something more intense, it goes to about 100. Your body will usually let you know if you need it, you just have to look for the signals. There are some times during the day when you think you're hungry, but in fact it's water you need. Another good reason to drink throughout the day--you'll likely eat less!