How many cl should you drink a day? Your guide to daily hydration

January 12, 2026 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking enough water each day is essential for preventing dehydration and helping your body function normally. Understanding your fluid needs in centiliters (cl) is a practical way to manage your daily intake for optimal health and wellness.

Quick Summary

Adults require varied fluid amounts based on lifestyle, environment, and health; general guidelines suggest 210-370 cl daily, but this should be personalized to maintain proper hydration.

Key Points

Personalize Your Intake: Forget the rigid '8 glasses a day' rule; tailor your daily centiliter intake to factors like gender, activity level, and climate for optimal hydration.
Know Your Baseline: The general recommendation for men is around 370 cl (3.7 L) and for women is 270 cl (2.7 L) of total fluid daily, including beverages and water-rich foods.
Consider Lifestyle and Environment: Increase your fluid intake significantly if you exercise, live in a hot or humid climate, are at a high altitude, or are ill to compensate for increased fluid loss.
Recognize Dehydration Signs: Pay attention to symptoms like dark urine, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue, as they indicate a need to replenish your fluids promptly.
Embrace Hydration for Health: Proper hydration supports essential functions, from regulating body temperature and lubricating joints to flushing waste and boosting physical and mental performance.
Track Fluid Intake: Utilize a reusable water bottle, set reminders, and be mindful of your water consumption throughout the day to meet your personalized goals.

General Daily Fluid Recommendations in cl

For decades, the simple "8 glasses a day" rule has been a popular guideline, which roughly translates to 200 cl (2 liters) based on a 25 cl glass. While this is an easy-to-remember target, health authorities now provide more specific recommendations based on gender and other factors. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is approximately 370 cl for men and 270 cl for women, with about 80% coming from beverages and the rest from food. It is important to note that these are total fluid intake recommendations, not just for water, as beverages like milk, tea, coffee, and even fruits and vegetables contribute to your daily intake.

Converting Liters to Centiliters

For many, especially those who use liters, converting to centiliters is straightforward. A centiliter (cl) is one-hundredth of a liter (100 cl = 1 L). This means that to convert a recommendation in liters to centiliters, you simply multiply by 100. For instance, the recommended 3.7 liters for men becomes 370 cl. This conversion is helpful for those tracking smaller increments of fluid intake throughout the day using metric measurements.

Factors That Influence Your Hydration Needs

Your personal fluid requirements are not static; they change based on a variety of physiological and environmental factors. Your body is constantly losing water through breathing, perspiration, and waste elimination, and this loss must be replaced daily to function properly.

Exercise: Any activity that makes you sweat requires increased fluid intake. The more intense and prolonged the exercise, the more water you need to replenish lost fluids. Drinking before, during, and after a workout is crucial.
Environment: Hot or humid weather increases sweat production, necessitating more fluids. Dehydration is also a concern at high altitudes, where you may need to increase your intake.
Health Status: When you have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, your body loses fluids quickly. You must increase your water consumption to prevent severe dehydration. Certain conditions, like bladder infections or kidney stones, also require increased fluid intake.
Pregnancy and Breast-feeding: Pregnant and breast-feeding women need additional fluids to stay hydrated and support their body and baby. Recommendations typically increase for these groups.
Diet: Eating foods with high water content, like many fruits and vegetables, can contribute significantly to your fluid intake. A high-protein or high-fiber diet may also increase fluid requirements.

Benefits of Staying Properly Hydrated

Maintaining adequate hydration is not just about staving off thirst; it plays a vital role in numerous bodily functions. Sufficient water intake is linked to better health outcomes and can help prevent various issues.

Maintains Normal Body Temperature: Water stores heat and releases it when your body cools through sweat evaporation.
Lubricates and Cushions Joints: Cartilage in joints contains about 80% water, and proper hydration ensures its shock-absorbing ability is maintained.
Protects Sensitive Tissues: Water cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues, impacting overall brain structure and function.
Flushes Out Waste: Water is essential for the processes of urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, helping your body eliminate waste products effectively.
Boosts Physical Performance: Staying hydrated can prevent reductions in performance, especially during activities lasting longer than 30 minutes.
Supports Skin Health: Water intake is associated with an improved skin barrier and reduces vulnerability to skin disorders.
Aids in Weight Management: Drinking water before meals can increase satiety, potentially leading to reduced calorie consumption. It can also replace high-calorie, sugary drinks.

Common Signs of Dehydration

It's important to recognize the early signs of dehydration, as thirst is not always a perfect indicator, especially in older adults. Being aware of these symptoms can help you adjust your fluid intake proactively. Common signs of dehydration include:

Feeling thirsty
Having dark yellow, strong-smelling urine
Peeing less often than usual
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Headaches
Dry mouth, lips, and tongue
Feeling tired or experiencing fatigue

Comparison of Daily Hydration Needs


Category	General Recommendation	Hot Weather / High Altitude	Intense Exercise (Daily)
Men	~370 cl (3.7 L) total fluid	Up to 500+ cl depending on activity	Significantly increased needs based on sweat loss
Women	~270 cl (2.7 L) total fluid	Up to 350+ cl depending on activity	Significantly increased needs based on sweat loss
Pregnant Women	~230 cl total fluid	Higher intake needed due to increased body demands	Individual needs vary, consult a healthcare provider
Breastfeeding Women	~260 cl total fluid	Higher intake needed due to increased body demands	Individual needs vary, consult a healthcare provider

Tips for Ensuring Adequate Hydration

Making hydration a consistent habit can be challenging, but these tips can help you stay on track:

Carry a reusable water bottle with you to make it easy to sip throughout the day.
Set reminders on your phone or use a hydration tracking app to prompt you to drink regularly.
Infuse your water with fruits like lemon, lime, or cucumber to add flavor without extra calories.
Remember that other beverages like tea, coffee, and even hydrating foods count toward your total fluid intake.
Pay attention to your body's signals and drink when you feel thirsty, but don't wait for thirst to become your primary motivation.

Conclusion

While a one-size-fits-all approach to daily fluid intake isn't appropriate, general guidelines of around 270 cl for women and 370 cl for men serve as a good starting point. However, these figures should be adjusted based on individual factors like activity level, climate, and overall health. The key is to listen to your body's signals and develop consistent habits to prevent dehydration. By staying well-hydrated, you support vital bodily functions, boost your physical and mental performance, and contribute to your overall well-being. For a more detailed look into your hydration needs and the benefits of water, see this informative resource from the Mayo Clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Drinking excessive water in a short period can lead to a rare but serious condition called water intoxication or hyponatremia, where the sodium in your blood becomes dangerously diluted. However, for most healthy individuals, this is not a concern under normal circumstances.

Yes, most beverages, including coffee, tea, and milk, contribute to your total fluid intake. While water is the healthiest option, a variety of drinks and foods with high water content can help you meet your daily fluid needs.

A practical way to check your hydration is by observing the color of your urine. If you are well-hydrated, your urine should be pale yellow and clear. Dark-colored urine is a sign of dehydration.

While thirst is a primary signal, waiting until you feel thirsty can mean you are already mildly dehydrated. It's best to sip fluids consistently throughout the day, especially during exercise or in hot weather, rather than waiting for thirst to set in.

Intense exercise and sweating significantly increase your fluid requirements. For strenuous activity, you need to drink extra water before, during, and after your workout to replace fluids lost through perspiration.

Recommendations for children vary based on age, weight, and activity level. As a general guide, kids and teens should aim for 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day, but this should be adjusted for activity and environment.

Carry a reusable water bottle, drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, add fruit to your water for flavor, and choose water over sugary drinks when eating out. Setting reminders can also help establish a consistent habit.