With the onset of spring and the coming of warm weather, many students will reach for a cool beverage to quench their thirst as temperatures rise in Charlottesville. And while the perpetual Coke vs. Pepsi debate found its way to the spring ballot this semester with a referendum about possibly switching soft-drink providers at the University, the question arises: Are students drinking enough water?
Obey your thirst
When it comes to how much water one should consume on a daily basis, experts cannot seem to agree. The rule of thumb has been to drink eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day -- but even that recommendation has been contested lately. Some experts say simply drinking water when one is thirsty is sufficient, while others say the body already is dehydrated by the time thirst hits.
According to Teller Swett, a cardiovascular nutritionist at the University's Heart and Vascular Center, a normal healthy adult at rest who eats about 2,000 calories a day needs approximately two liters of water to replenish what is lost through urination, body waste and insensible perspiration. The standard size water bottle sold in vending machines is half a liter.
"This recommendation has come under fire lately with some folks questioning the science behind the '8 glass a day' recommendation and taking the stance that drinking when you're thirsty will meet your fluid needs just fine," Swett said. "However, since our bodies cannot store water, we must replace what is lost every day in order to keep the balance."
Referencing the American Dietetic Association's "Complete Food and Nutrition Guide," Swett said the average adult loses about two and a half quarts of water a day.
"The human body is made up of 50 to 75 percent water -- or about 10 to 12 gallons -- so replenishing your body's water supply is crucial for proper function," Swett said.
While many health-care professionals may agree that two liters of water a day is a good rule to follow, the amount of water one needs to consume to stay properly hydrated is dependent on many variables.
University Dining Services nutritionist Paula Caravati said fluid needs are determined by body weight, climate, activity level and aspects of physical status such as pregnancy and breastfeeding in women, as well as fever, diarrhea and vomiting.
Because the vast majority of University students engage in some sort of physical activity, Swett and Caravati said it is important to replenish the water lost through perspiration during exercise.
"If you are sweating, particularly if you are exercising in hot weather, you need to increase your water intake by several glasses," Swett said.
According to the International Bottled Water Association Web site, people should add one 8-oz glass of water for each hour of activity. The IBWA advises a 125-pound person engaging in light activity for one hour to drink nine 8-oz glasses and a 175-pound person to drink 9.5 glasses. A 125-pound person and a 175-pound person engaging in one hour of strenuous activity should drink 11 and 12.5 glasses, respectively, according to the Web site.
Chugging water?
While four bottles of water a day to meet the two-liter recommendation may seem like a lot, there are other ways to get your daily dose of water than simply drinking water.
According to a report released in February 2004 by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, about 80 percent of one's total water intake comes from drinking water and beverages, including caffeinated ones, while the remaining 20 percent comes from food.
Swett said eating foods with high moisture content, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, can help increase total water consumption and can make up the difference between how much water one ingests and how much one loses each day.
"Over 90 percent of grapefruit, watermelon, broccoli and lettuce is water," Swett said. "And all fluids count, such as milk, juice, soup, popsicles -- even soft drinks, tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages."
Swett added, however, that caffeinated and alcoholic beverages have a diuretic component, so additional plain water should be consumed to replace the lost water by drinking these beverages.
Caravati said she recommends water, juice, milk and the occasional decaffeinated beverage.
"Water and juice are great vending machine options," she said. "Juice and milk provide other nutrients besides water, making them a good choice."
Too much of a good thing?
While proper hydration is crucial to one's overall well-being, recent studies have shown that too much water can be dangerous in certain situations.
According to an article in this week's "Time" magazine, hyponatremia is a condition in which the sodium content in the blood becomes diluted when a person consumes too much water. As a result, cells -- including brain cells -- suck up the excess fluid from the bloodstream and swell. The built-up pressure inside the skull can lead to permanent damage and even death.
The article referenced a study in last week's New England Journal of Medicine which found that marathon runners and other athletes are particularly susceptible to hyponatremia.
Caravati said besides causing grogginess, nausea and incoherence, hyponatremia can be fatal by interfering with the normal breathing process.
The article noted, however, that hyponatremia mostly afflicts a small percentage of novice runners and other inexperienced endurance athletes.
"Unfortunately, as extreme sports like marathons, long-distance bike rides and triathlons grow in popularity, the number of inexperienced athletes also keeps growing," the article said. "And unless there is awareness of how dangerous excessive drinking of water can be, some endurance athletes may be at risk."
Wahoos and water
Regardless of which soft-drink brand is sold on Grounds, perhaps a more important issue is whether or not students are drinking enough water, especially now with Foxfields and Beach Week just around the corner. And while many students may be conscious of their health in terms of the food they eat, perhaps an equally important concern should be proper hydration as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Alison Beaver, interim director of health promotion at Student Health, said while many students already are aware of their health behaviors, many do not drink the recommended amount of water on a daily basis.
"We hear so many times that we have to drink eight glasses of water a day, and I feel like talking to students that that's not what they're actually consuming," Beaver said. "Especially if they're working out, they're probably not increasing that amount."
Go for the H2O
When it comes down to it, Swett recommended that students ultimately choose water over soda and other vending machine beverages.
"If you are concerned about warding off the 'freshman 15,' water is very much your friend," Swett said. "It has no calories and is very refreshing."
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