Water, How Much is Enough?

It is said that “Humans can live forty days without food, about three days without water and about eight minutes without oxygen.”

Those of us who engage in strenuous outdoor activities are at an increased risk of dehydration and the numerous complications associated with this medical condition. Athletes involved in strenuous activities require 4 to 6 liters of water to maintain a healthy balance.

Dehydration can be defined as "the excessive loss of water from the body." Fluid loss may even be severe enough to become life-threatening.Dehydration occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in and your body doesn't have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If lost fluid is not replaced, you may suffer serious consequences.

Heat exhaustion is less dangerous than heat stroke. It typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a warm, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Fluid loss causes blood flow to decrease in the vital organs, resulting in a form of shock. With heat exhaustion, sweat does not evaporate as it should, possibly because of high humidity or too many layers of clothing. As a result, the body is not cooled properly.

Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke, is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.

Source : http://www.mbpost.com/article/266625/water-how-much-is-enough.html#chapter_1