The Thirst Trap : “I’m not feeling too great,” remarked Chef Boy-R-G, the YouTuber, as he struggled through his #gallonchallenge, attempting to down a full gallon of water—128 ounces—in one go. Things weren’t going according to plan. His lips sagged, resembling a fish out of water, as he leaned out of his car door. “Chef Boy-R-G just had a moment,” he declared once he regained his composure. “Forget this water.”
Water? Someone disapproving of water? It seems absurd in this age of peak hydration, where carrying a gallon jug to the gym is the norm, and crowds eagerly await the latest 40oz Stanley bottle release. In our quest for optimal health, smartphone apps meticulously track our daily fluid intake, while a podcast episode by Stanford professor Andrew Huberman titled “How to Enhance Your Water Quality & Intake for Health” racks up over 1.2 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, #WaterTok garners billions of views on TikTok within a year. Clearly, water is having a moment in the spotlight.
Advocate : The Thirst Trap
However, our obsession with hydration can lead us down a treacherous path. Many of those #WaterTok videos promote water fasting—surviving solely on flavored water—and advocate for guzzling down a gallon each day. Water influencers (yes, they’re a thing now) saturate our social media feeds with misinformation—Drink eight glasses daily! No, drink an ounce for every pound you weigh!—while bro science—Excessive water consumption flushes out toxins!—spreads like wildfire.
The pinnacle of water’s toxic trendiness perhaps arrived late last year when actress Brooke Shields turned blue, frothed at the mouth, and collapsed in a New York restaurant. The culprit? Overhydration, which caused her sodium levels to plummet, resulting in a seizure. “Many fail to grasp the dangers: Drinking too much water is risky and can lead to severe complications such as seizures, brain swelling, and even death,” warns Dr. Robert Glatter, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, who has treated individuals hospitalized due to water fasting. “While most believe more is better, that’s simply not the case.”
Within a single generation, water has evolved from a mundane necessity to a statement of personal style, ultimately becoming the vessel for our aspirations toward wellness. How did we become so fixated on hydration? The science behind it is far from straightforward, particularly concerning the optimal amount of water needed for peak performance versus mere survival.
The concept of ideal hydration is a relatively recent and underexplored area, and surprisingly, even the foremost experts in hydration research hold conflicting views on how much water we should consume and when. Yet, recent studies offer valuable insights, helping us strike a balance between inadequate hydration and overindulgence. To grasp the significance of this pivotal moment, we must trace back to the origins of a persistent myth: the notion that drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily is essential.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that water serves more than just powering our workouts. Every life form on Earth has evolved to rely on the remarkable bond between hydrogen and oxygen atoms. When scientists assert that the human body consists of 60 to 75 percent water, it’s not because we’re hoarding it for a potential marathon; it’s because water molecules facilitate an astonishing array of functions within our bodies, as well as those of all living beings.
Water aids cells in absorbing essential nutrients like sodium and constitutes the majority of our blood, which carries vital oxygen and other molecules throughout our bodies. (Ironically, without water, breathing wouldn’t be possible.) Moreover, water sustains life in indirect ways, serving as a critical element in photosynthesis, the process by which plants produce oxygen and create the conditions necessary for our planet’s habitability. Plainly put, water is synonymous with life.
However, despite its vital importance, our relationship with water has always been complex, and our perceptions of hydration have often been clouded by myth and superstition. Roman soldiers would add spoiled wine and herbs to their water, believing it would both kill bacteria and quench their thirst.
Early Americans, grappling with waterborne diseases, deemed water unfit for consumption, as noted by historian W. J. Rorabaugh in his work “The Alcoholic Republic.” Even athletes, well into the 20th century, were advised to avoid drinking water. In his 1909 book “Marathon Running,” the head of the Amateur Athletic Union cautioned against consuming water during races, arguing it wasn’t beneficial. Then came the enduring myth—the one repeated by everyone from grandparents to gym buddies: drink eight glasses a day.
“You hear it constantly; it’s everywhere,” remarks Tamara Hew-Butler, Ph.D., an associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State University, regarding the notion that we should all consume eight glasses of water daily. However, she asserts that this recommendation lacks scientific basis. In fact, a 2022 paper published in Science concluded that the advice lacks any supporting evidence whatsoever.
