You know you should be drinking enough water, but exactly how much is that?

The Eatwell Guide recommends we drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day. It’s not just water, low fat milk, sugar free drinks, tea and coffee count too. Remember, it’s a guideline so it varies according to weight, lifestyle and activity level. If you’re more active, you’ll need to drink more.

Water makes up a whopping 60% of your body and it’s lost through sweating, peeing and even breathing. Being hydrated benefits your digestion, circulation and complexion. Fats are more easily broken down and converted into energy by a hydrated body, even more reason to find a way to keep hydrated.

Top tip: Often we feel hungry when we’re actually thirsty. If you’re feeling a little peckish, try drinking a large glass of water and then see how you feel. This can cut a snack or binge session off at the pass.

How do you know if you’re dehydrated?

Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and cramps. We don’t need to explain how that can impact your potential on the pitch.

Severe dehydration can lead to dry skin and lips, sunken eyes, fainting spells, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing. You’re also more likely to get dehydrated more quickly if you’ve got diabetes, it’s a hot day, or if you’ve sweated a lot.

Can you drink too much?

As with most things in life, you can overdo it. Water intoxication (hyponatremia) is a thing, albeit a rare thing.

Drinking vast amounts too quickly leads to an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the bloodstream. This damages the kidneys and liver and can even be fatal. It’s very rare and you’d have to drink an absolutely huge volume of water, but it’s worth knowing about.

Regular glasses or bottles of water throughout your waking hours won’t put you in the danger zone, just don’t down 4 litres of water in one go.

Starting to drink more water will make you pee a lot, especially if you’re not used to drinking enough. And that’s okay – although it is a little annoying, we’ll give you that.

How do I know if I’m hydrated?

Check your pee. If urine is a pale yellow and you’re peeing frequently, you’re hydrated.
If it’s a darker colour or you’ve not been for a few hours, fill that glass up and get sipping.

How do I know if I’m drinking enough?

There are plenty of water intake calculators on the web which might give you a better idea of how much you should be aiming for. Ultimately, we’re all different shapes and sizes and that will dictate our ideal water consumption amount.

But I don’t like water…

Granted, not everyone likes it, but our bodies need it so we need to find a way to get it down the hatch. You could try sugar free squash or get a water filter to see if the taste improves.

Top tips for staying hydrated

  • When you feel thirsty, sip regularly on water. Make it your first choice for a drink.
  • Keep a glass or water bottle in your line of sight, this can be a great prompt to remind you.
  • Eat foods that have a high-water content such as soup and fruit.
  • Limit your intake of caffeinated sugary drinks, fruit juices and alcohol.
  • Set yourself a reminder. An alert on your phone can remind yourself to fill up your glass.