7 Ways to Tell If You’re Hydrated Enough or at Risk of Dehydration

When it comes to diet, most people focus primarily on their food intake. This makes sense as it’s food that provides most of the energy and nutrients your body needs. You can also modify your food intake to reflect your fitness and training goals, e.g., increasing protein intake to build muscle, or reducing fat intake to lose weight.

However, there is one part of the diet puzzle that many people forget about – hydration. This is somewhat concerning given how critical water is for our survival.

The human body comprises roughly 60% water, and good old H20 plays a vital role in many essential biological functions, including temperature control, nutrient transportation, lubrication, skin health, and digestion.  

Despite this, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 16 to 21% of American adults are chronically dehydrated (1). In other words, as many as one in five people do not drink enough water to optimize their health.

Chronic or long-term dehydration can cause numerous problems, including:

• Constipation
• Continuous fatigue
• Dizziness
• Early aging of the skin
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Kidney stones
• Muscle weakness and cramps
• Poor digestion and acid reflux
• Recurrent headaches
• Reduced kidney function
• Urinary tract infections

As a veteran personal trainer, it’s my job to help people achieve their health and fitness goals. This typically involves guiding my clients through their workouts and providing nutrition advice. Needless to say, I also talk about hydration, as not drinking enough water can undermine all our other efforts.

So, how can you tell if you are sufficiently hydrated or are at risk of dehydration? In this article, I reveal seven tell-tale signs that you need to drink more water.

Seven Signs That You Are Dehydrated

It’s often said that adults should drink about two liters (68 fl. ounces) of water per day. Unfortunately, this is a very general recommendation that fails to recognize that some people need more water than others.

Alternatively, you could use a water intake calculator to determine your hydration needs.

However, even if you consume the “right” amount of water, you may still be dehydrated. That’s because your body’s water requirements can vary significantly according to numerous factors, including climate and temperature, duration and intensity of exercise, and your sodium intake.

So, how do you know if you need to drink more water and get properly hydrated? Look for these tell-tale signs!

1. Thirst

Your body is pretty good at telling you what it needs. Your stomach grumbles when you are hungry, your eyes droop when you need sleep, and you shiver when you are cold. These are autonomic responses to the condition of your internal systems.

When it comes to dehydration, thirst is the most obvious indicator that you need to drink more water.

Unfortunately, almost any fluid can slake your thirst, even if it’s not particularly hydrating. For example, drinking coffee, energy drinks, or soda will blunt your thirst response without contributing much to your water intake.

So, the next time you feel thirsty, reach for your water bottle, not a can of soda. Water is what your body needs.

Summary: Feeling thirsty? Drink some water! Avoid caffeinated and sugary drinks as they slake your thirst without doing much for your hydration levels.

2. Hard, Dry Stools

As previously discussed, your body uses water for a wide range of critical functions, including the transport of nutrients and lubrication. As such, it plays a very vital role in the digestive system.

Your body uses water to lubricate the food you eat so it can pass easily through your stomach and intestines. However, while this is an important function, your body will happily divert water away from your gastrointestinal tract for use elsewhere if you are dehydrated.

Consequently, your feces or stool won’t contain as much water as usual, making them harder and drier. In addition, your intestines won’t be as well lubricated as normal, making those hard, dry stools difficult to pass.

In short, not drinking enough water can cause constipation, which is best defined as infrequent or difficult passing of stools. Because of this, drinking water is a common home remedy for constipation, as a lack of water is often the cause.

Related: Gut Rescue 911: Lightning-Fast Home Remedies for Constipation Relief

Summary: Dehydration can make your stools dry and harder to pass. Drinking water will help lubricate your intestines and rehydrate your poop so it’s easier to go to the bathroom.

3. Dark, Smelly Urine

As a personal trainer, I often have to talk about bodily functions that some people find embarrassing. After all, your body is my job. So, please forgive me for raising the somewhat sensitive topic of the color and fragrance of your urine!

If you are well-hydrated, your urine should be relatively pale and fragrance-free. The urine color of a hydrated person is often described as straw-colored.

In contrast, dark, strong-smelling urine is a reliable indicator that you are dehydrated and need to drink more water. The dark color and smell are due to the waste in your urine being more concentrated than normal.

Of course, urine color and odor change throughout the day and according to what you have been eating or drinking. That said, most experts agree that it’s normal for your first pee of the day to be somewhat darker and smellier than the rest of your urine output. That’s because, after a night of not drinking, it’s usual to wake up slightly dehydrated.

You may also pee less often if you are dehydrated as your body works to retain what little water is available. Your pee schedule is something only you are familiar with, but if you’re having fewer bathroom breaks, dehydration could be the cause.

So, next time you pee, sneak a peek at the color and savor its bouquet – dark, smelly urine means you need to drink more water.

Summary: Dark, smelly urine indicates that excreted waste is not as diluted as usual and that you are currently dehydrated. Drink enough water that your urine is mostly clear and odor-free.   

4. Poor Skin Elasticity

Forget your biceps, glutes, and quads – the largest organ of the human body is your skin. The skin has numerous functions including temperature control, protection from the elements, excretion of waste, detecting sensations, and keeping your organs on the inside of your body!

Consequently, your skin uses a lot of water. However, when water is in short supply, your skin may not get all the water it needs. This affects skin elasticity and its ability to “snap back” into shape after being stretched. Skin elasticity is properly called turgor.

To check for skin turgor, gently pinch the back of your hand between your finger and thumb. Hold it for a couple of seconds and then release. If you are well-hydrated, your skin should quickly return to its original condition. However, if you are dehydrated, it may take several seconds for the pinch to vanish.

Many people spend money on skin moisturizers, often ignoring the fact that drinking water is arguably the most cost-effective and reliable way to improve skin health. It’s no wonder that so many models swear by drinking gallons of water to keep their skin looking fresh and healthy.

Summary: Dehydration can reduce skin elasticity. If your skin takes more than a few seconds to snap back into position after pinching it, you probably need to increase your water intake.

Related: How to Say Goodbye To Loose Skin After Weight Loss

5. Not Sweating Despite Being Very Hot

Your body needs to stay at a steady temperature to function correctly. This is typically between 36.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius or 97.7 to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme cold (hypothermia) and heat (hyperthermia) can cause chaos with your body’s operating systems and can be killers.

Consequently, your body spends a lot of time and energy keeping your temperature constant. That’s why you shiver when you are cold, and sweat when you are hot.

Sweating helps you cool down. Water is released onto your skin and then evaporates, taking some of the heat with it. In general, the hotter you are the more you will sweat, which helps explain why exercisers often leave puddles of perspiration on the cardio machines at the gym!

Of course, some people sweat more than others, which may or may not be an adaptation to regular exercise. It’s sometimes said that the fitter you are, the more you perspire. This may be because you are able to work harder and therefore get hotter.

Regardless, the process of sweating is hydration-dependent, and if you are dehydrated, you won’t be able to sweat as freely as usual. This can be very dangerous and you may overheat as a result.

So, if you notice that you aren’t sweating as much as usual, it may be an indicator that you are dehydrated. For this reason, it’s critical to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise, especially during intense workouts or in hot environments.

Summary: Your body uses water to regulate your temperature. If you aren’t sweating as much as usual, despite feeling very hot, you could be dehydrated. Drink water before, during, and after exercise, and increase your fluid intake when training in hot environments.

6. Lower Back Pain

Non-specific lower back pain, i.e. NOT the result of an identifiable injury or overexertion, is an often-overlooked symptom of dehydration. There are a couple of ways that not drinking enough water can cause lower back aches and pains (2).

Firstly, because water is such a valuable commodity, your body will take it from one area to use in another. For example, to keep your brain and heart supplied, your body will divert water away from your intervertebral disks and the connective tissues of your spine. This reduces its mobility and shock-absorbing ability, leading to stiffness and discomfort.

Secondly, not drinking enough water puts a lot of stress on your kidneys, which are located on either side of your lumbar spine. Overworked kidneys can become inflamed, swollen, and tender, manifesting as lower back pain.

In many cases, drinking water can be an effective lower back pain remedy, although severe or long-lasting back pain should always be discussed with a medical professional. 

Summary: Lower back pain is a common complaint affecting a large proportion of adults. Drinking more water could help reduce the severity and duration of some types of lower back pain.

7. You Don’t Drink Much Plain Water

I can judge the likelihood that someone is dehydrated by what they drink each day. For example, if you mostly drink tea, coffee, soda, fruit juice, and energy drinks, I’ll bet the farm that you are borderline dehydrated.

I mean – where’s the water?!

While juice and soda can help keep thirst at bay, they aren’t the best hydrators. Coffee and tea are even worse because the caffeine they contain is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine output.

So, if you want to make sure you are well-hydrated, you need to make water your drink of choice.

The best way I have found to do this is not to count things like tea, coffee, soda, etc. as part of my fluid intake. So, if you have determined that you need to drink 64 fl. ounces to achieve optimal hydration, that’s how much plain old H20 you need to consume, and any other beverages do not contribute toward that total.

This ensures that you are giving your body more of what it needs to stay hydrated. You don’t have to give up coffee, soda, etc., but not counting them toward your daily fluid goals means you’re more likely to prioritize water consumption and avoid dehydration.

Summary: Not all drinks hydrate equally, so don’t count tea, coffee, etc. toward your hydration goals. Instead, only count the water you drink, and treat all other beverages as hydrating bonuses rather than the mainstay of your fluid intake.

Closing Thoughts

Regardless of what diet you follow, water is the foundation on which it should be built. It doesn’t matter if you go paleo, do intermittent fasting, or follow the Zone, not drinking enough water will render any diet unhealthy.

How do you know if you are sufficiently hydrated? Simple; look for the signs outlined in this article!

So, if you are thirsty, your pee is dark and smelly, you have back pain, you aren’t sweating as much as usual, your skin has lost elasticity, you’re constipated, or simply don’t drink much water, you are probably dehydrated.

Drinking enough water is critical for your health, mental and physical performance, and appearance, and it’s freely available so there is no reason not to consume enough. Track your intake to make sure you are getting all the water you need.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Prevalence of Inadequate Hydration Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2009–2012 (NCHS Data Brief No. 242). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db242.pdf
2. Guillemant, J., Dumoulin, C., Valtier, B., & Guillemant, S. (2020). Characteristics of back pain in young adults and their relationship with dehydration: a cross-sectional study. ResearchGate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339670075_Characteristics_of_back_pain_in_young_adults_and_their_relationship_with_dehydration_a_cross_sectional_study

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