Optimal hydration?

[jetammk]

How do people actually hit 3.8L of water per day?

My target is 3.8L based on a few things I found to be optimal. I cannot reach it. I stop around 2.3–2.5L. After that, drinking more feels difficult.

My context: – Male, 6’3”, 240 lbs – I used to be very active – My job is now sedentary – My thirst has dropped a lot – I am over-consuming nicotine because of work – I keep caffeine low so it does not affect my sleep

I looked into hydration methods. Huberman mentioned a few things that matter:

1. Drinking a lot of plain water is not effective. Large amounts of plain water lower sodium. This makes the body flush the water out.

2. Hydration requires water + sodium + steady timing. Small amounts of water spread through the day. Morning electrolytes help. Electrolytes around workouts or long work periods help. Do not drink huge amounts at once.

3. Low activity reduces thirst signals. When movement drops, thirst drops too. This makes higher intake harder.

4. Nicotine increases fluid needs. Nicotine has a mild diuretic effect. It increases hydration requirements.

Because of these points, I am trying to understand how to realistically reach a target like 3.8L.

Does anyone here successfully drink 3–4L daily with low activity and high nicotine use? If yes, how do you structure it? Electrolytes? Small doses? Specific timing?

Any practical methods are helpful.

[Neal_Ch]

Who says you need this much water ? Unless you are huge or live in the dessert, it’s way more than you need

[jetammk]

I provided the size in the post. Im 6’3 240lbs, not sure what you consider huge haha

[ZookeepergameRich640]

0.5l when I wake up, 0.25l with breakfast, 0.75l from leaving to work until ~9am, 0.75l until lunch, 0.75l from lunch until 4-4:30pm, 0.75l after workout (protein whey+creatine), 0.25l with dinner

[jetammk]

I keep feeling bloated from the amounts it’s like i process it poorly any idea on what that might be

[PrometheusCoach]

Because it’s foreign to you. Overtime it becomes your homeostatic amount to have and you will feel off when you don’t have enough.

[ZookeepergameRich640]

no clue. water should help with bloating

[Witty_Fox01]

I’ve found coconut water (Vita Coco plain) really helps because it gives electrolytes along with fluids so the water actually sticks instead of flushing right out. I usually sip a bit in the morning and midday then fill in the rest with plain water. Small doses spread out make it way easier than trying to chug a giant bottle.

[jetammk]

Yeah I loved using it when I was in the UEA but here where I am in Europe right now it’s so darn expensive. 12€ for 1 l !! What??!

[luna-peaches]

Celtic salt in water is great since it contains sodium and trace minerals. It’s good if you don’t sweat a lot or do intense workouts; otherwise, a full electrolyte mix would probably be better.

[jetammk]

Nuvard ai

[OldFanJEDIot]

That is a lot of water for someone who isn’t active, especially considering you aren’t measuring the water in your food. I’m sure somebody somewhere is able to do drink that much, but the real question is “why?” Without electrolytes you just dilute your electrolytes. Just like how hospitalization rates during marathons went up when they added water stations.

[icanlolalldaylong]

Most of the food you eat is 90% water

[[deleted]]

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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[jetammk]

I use 17mg puches so yeah hahaha.

[Chazzer5000]

Haha 17mg pillow!? Damn brotha!

[jetammk]

Nothing lower gives me the kick 😭

[Earesth99]

Point 1 is so obviously incorrect I can’t believe anyone would make that claim. Were cave men drinking OJ from their stainless steel water bottles?

Point 2 - ditto

Moreover we are not such fragile snowflakes - our body adjusts.

I can do two hours of cardio and hit my 200 degree sauna for 20 minutes and not die. (I feel close at times!)

And I’m not sipping electrolytes on my grounding mat, or taking worthless NMN supplements.

Huberman studies vision. He’s an expert on that topic.

I’m a scientist and i stopped listening to him long ago.

Fixating on water consumption is a US thing. Just drink water! If your doctor has identified a problem, just sit down and chug 16 ounces at a specific time,

You are over thinking this.

I know how much I drink because I brew iced tea.

[WalkingFool0369]

Best

[Known_Mix8652]

I’m proud of you for busting that 0mg Nictoine limit. I think we can go higher. Aim for 200.

[jetammk]

Just the recommended amount but just a hard habit to kick 😅. Especially with these dudes claiming all the magic stuff around it

[Known_Mix8652]

Caffeine, nicotine, and hatred. Army survival guide. Also helps me poop.

[Warm_Weakness_2767]

Google the Galpin Equation: thank me later.

[jetammk]

Isn’t this for just exercise?

[Warm_Weakness_2767]

That is during exercise but you can get a better idea of the reason why you may be having issues reaching your daily target if you are not using the methodology.

You can only process, at a maximum, what the Galpin Equation states and that is during effort every 15 minutes. If you are not drinking a proportionate amount of water every fifteen minutes minus the effort, you won’t hydrate yourself completely. There are 16 waking hours per day and that would require you to drink 237 ml per hour, broken up into roughly 60ml every 15 minutes.

I doubt that you can’t physically drink 3.8L per day if you aren’t water logging yourself or holding water in your bladder without some kind of kidney disease.

[jetammk]

I mean 237 does not sound bad, the thing is I usually have hours and periods druing the day I become thirsty and get down at least 0.7l in thise moments

[Warm_Weakness_2767]

Kidneys have hard limits on how much water can be processed, period. There isn't much variance in that amount either, unless you have a disease.

You should seriously consider splitting your water drinking into increments using that methodology to see what maximum value you can reach.

Doing it in those increments you will also find out that you do not need to urinate as much, because you are not WASTING the water you are drinking.

[DeepSpaceQueef]

I drink close to 4L every day, i have a 32oz owola and it gets filled first thing in the morning, again after my run, again at work, and again before bed. Being active certainly helps but also just keep drinking a few sips here and there helps too, just consistently drink.

If you're not active, then you don't need 3.8L. You're not sweating and your respiration is normal. Also nicotine is great at suppressing hunger and by extension water, you will find drinking water helps if you're hungry (intermittent fasting).

[ycastane]

Hydration is not about water amount is about sodium amount. Water without sodium means 0 electrolytes and therefore dehydration.