Merck Manual

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About Body Water

By

James L. Lewis III

, MD, Brookwood Baptist Health and Saint Vincent’s Ascension Health, Birmingham

Reviewed/Revised Apr 2022 | Modified Sep 2022
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Water accounts for about one half to two thirds of an average person’s weight. Fat tissue has a lower percentage of water than lean tissue and women tend to have more fat, so the percentage of body weight that is water in the average woman is lower (52 to 55%) than it is in the average man (60%). The percentage of body weight that is water is also lower in older people and in obese people. The percentage of body weight that is water is higher (70%) at birth and in early childhood.

A 154-pound (70-kilogram) man has a little over 10.5 gallons (42 liters) of water in his body: 7 gallons (28 liters) inside the cells, 2.5 gallons (about 10.5 liters) in the space around the cells, and slightly less than 1 gallon (3.5 liters, or about 8% of the total amount of water) in the blood.

Water intake must balance water loss. To maintain water balance—and to protect against dehydration Dehydration Dehydration is a deficiency of water in the body. Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, burns, kidney failure, and use of diuretics may cause dehydration. People feel thirsty, and as dehydration... read more , the development of kidney stones Stones in the Urinary Tract Stones (calculi) are hard masses that form in the urinary tract and may cause pain, bleeding, or an infection or block of the flow of urine. Tiny stones may cause no symptoms, but larger stones... read more Stones in the Urinary Tract , and other medical problems—healthy adults should drink at least 1½ to 2 quarts (about 2 liters) of fluids a day. Drinking too much is usually better than drinking too little, because excreting excess water is much easier for the body than conserving water. However, when the kidneys are functioning normally, the body can handle wide variations in fluid intake.

Did You Know...

  • When the kidneys are functioning normally, the body can handle wide variations in fluid intake.

The body obtains water primarily by absorbing it from the digestive tract. Additionally, a small amount of water is produced when the body processes (metabolizes) certain nutrients.

Overview of Hydration
VIDEO

The body loses water primarily by excreting it in urine from the kidneys. Depending on the body's needs, the kidneys may excrete less than a pint or up to several gallons (about half a liter to over 10 liters) of urine a day. About 1½ pints (a little less than a liter) of water are lost daily when water evaporates from the skin and is breathed out by the lungs. Profuse sweating—which may be caused by vigorous exercise, hot weather, or a high body temperature—can dramatically increase the amount of water lost through evaporation. Normally, little water is lost from the digestive tract. However, prolonged vomiting or severe diarrhea can result in the loss of a gallon or more a day.

Mineral salts (electrolytes Overview of Electrolytes More than half of a person's body weight is water. Doctors think about water in the body as being restricted to various spaces, called fluid compartments. The three main compartments are Fluid... read more ), such as sodium and potassium, are dissolved in the water in the body. Water balance and electrolyte balance Electrolyte Balance are closely linked. The body works to keep the total amount of water and the levels of electrolytes in the blood constant. For example, when the sodium level becomes too high, thirst develops, leading to an increased intake of fluids. In addition, vasopressin (also called antidiuretic hormone), a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland (a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain) in response to dehydration, causes the kidneys to excrete less water. The combined effect is an increased amount of water in the blood. As a result, sodium is diluted and the balance of sodium and water is restored. When the sodium level becomes too low, the kidneys excrete more water, which decreases the amount of water in the blood, again restoring the balance.

Maintaining water balance

In the body, several mechanisms work together to maintain water balance. These include

  • Thirst

  • Interaction of the pituitary gland and kidneys

  • Osmosis

Thirst is one of the most important mechanisms to maintain water balance. When the body needs water, nerve centers deep within the brain are stimulated, resulting in the sensation of thirst. The sensation becomes stronger as the body’s need for water increases, motivating a person to drink the needed fluids. When the body has excess water, thirst is suppressed.

An interaction between the pituitary gland and the kidneys provides another mechanism. When the body is low in water, the pituitary gland secretes vasopressin (also called antidiuretic hormone) into the bloodstream. Vasopressin stimulates the kidneys to conserve water and excrete less urine. When the body has excess water, the pituitary gland secretes little vasopressin, enabling the kidneys to excrete excess water in the urine.

In osmosis, water flows passively from one area or compartment of the body to another. This passive flow allows the larger volumes of fluid in the cells and the area around the cells to act as reservoirs to protect the more critical but smaller volume of fluid in the blood vessels from dehydration Dehydration Dehydration is a deficiency of water in the body. Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, burns, kidney failure, and use of diuretics may cause dehydration. People feel thirsty, and as dehydration... read more .

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