Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Should athletes drink a gallon of water every day?

13 Oct 2025 · 1 min

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In this segment, the speaker cautions that drinking a gallon of water daily can actually indicate dehydration and is unnecessary for most people. He advises against following the 75 Hard nutrition guidelines that suggest such high intake. Instead, he recommends a personalized baseline of at least half of one's body weight in ounces of water per day, plus an additional 16 to 24 ounces for each hour of exercise. He emphasizes that without sufficient electrolytes—particularly salt—the body will not retain the water, leading to excess urination. The core message is that proper hydration requires a balance of water volume and electrolyte intake tailored to individual body weight and activity level.

Chapters

If you are drinking a gallon of water every single day, you might be dehydrated. First thing, not everyone needs a whole gallon of water. I wouldn't recommend following the 75 Hard nutrition part of the challenge. Get at least half of your body weight in ounces. That's what you're looking for, for baseline, and then add 16 to 24 ounces per hour of exercise. But if you're drinking a gallon of water and you're not pairing it with enough salt in your day, AKA electrolytes, the water can just pass right through you and you're gonna just pee it right out. So in order for your body to retain the water and to use the water to stay healthy and hydrated, you need the right amount of water paired with salt/electrolytes to have the perfect storm.