The amount of water in the human body varies depending on gender and age. Each organ and each human tissue is formed by millions and billions of cells, which require a large amount of water for their normal functioning. When asked how much water is in the human body, this article will answer.
Factors affecting the percentage of water in the human body
Answering the question, how much water in the human body is a percentage, it should be said that this indicator ranges from 50 to 75% of the total body weight. So, in adults, 50-65% of water is in the body, the average value falls within 57-60%. In newborns, typical values of this indicator are 75-78%, and by 1 year it already drops to 65%.
According to the figures, if we take into account an adult, then the answer to the question, how much water is in the human body, if its mass is 90 kg, we get: 0.585 x 90 = 52.65 kg. Given that the density of pure water is 1000 kg / m 3 , it turns out that the body of an adult contains about 53 liters of water. Children contain a little more water as a percentage than adults. So, by the age of 8-10 years, the child weighs about 30 kg. Of which 65% is water. How much water is in the human body if its mass is 30 kg? From the above figures it follows that about 0.65 x 30 = 19.5 kg.
The amount of water in the human body depends not only on age, but also on gender and physical condition, since this substance contains more substance in muscle tissue than in adipose tissue. An adult man on average consists of 60% of water, in turn, the body of an adult woman on average contains 55% of water, since, in view of physiological characteristics, women have more adipose tissue than men. Accordingly, obese people, regardless of gender, consist of less water in percentage terms than people with athletic physique. In a word, there are different nuances.
Where does the body contain water
All water in the human body is in three main places:
- inside the cells (2/3 of the total amount of substance);
- in the space between cells;
- in the blood (1/3 of all body water).
If we talk about an adult man of normal physique, then the answer to the question, how much water in the human body, if its mass is 60 kg, will be the figure of 36 liters. Of these, 24 L is inside the cells and 12 L outside the cells, of which 2.6 L is blood plasma, 0.9 L is contained in the cerebrospinal, pleural and synovial fluids, and 8.5 L is an intermediate fluid that forms the medium for body cells.
As mentioned above, infants contain the greatest amount of water as a percentage of body weight, then adult men follow this indicator, adult women follow them, the last line is occupied by overweight people who have a high percentage of adipose tissue.
When considering how much water is in the human body, its percentage in various organs should be given. So, the skin consists of 72% of water, blood - of 83%, heart, liver and kidneys contain 70-80% of this fluid, in the lungs - 80% of water, in bones - 22%, muscles consist of 76% of water, the brain - by 75%, but in the adipose tissue this substance is only 10%.
Importance for normal human life
The main function of water in the human body is to transport various nutrients and breakdown products from one place to another. Note that a person will not be able to live if he does not drink water for 3-4 days.
If a person has lost only 2-3% of water, then he has a feeling of thirst. It is interesting to note that even with a loss of 1% of this fluid, brain function begins to deteriorate, and physical abilities decrease.
The ideal percentage of water in the body
According to general recommendations, to maintain normal functioning, an adult needs to consume 2 liters of water daily. This does not mean that you need to drink pure water. It enters the body when a person drinks juice, eats soup or fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Note that if 2 liters are presented as pure water, then this will be 8 standard glasses (250 ml each).
The above recommendation is general. Of course, these figures should be adjusted in accordance with climatic conditions and the level of physical activity. In addition, people with different weights contain different amounts of water in their bodies. For example, how much water is in the human body if its mass is 60 kg, and if it is 90 kg. In the first case, this is 36 liters, in the second case, 54 liters. Therefore, it is natural that with a comparable level of physical activity, a person with a larger mass needs to drink more fluid to maintain a normal metabolism than a person who weighs less.
Experts recommend that male athletes with an active lifestyle drink 13 glasses of water per day, and female athletes with 9 glasses.
Is it harmful to drink a lot of water?
It turns out that the answer to this question is yes. With excessive consumption of water in the human body, the following undesirable processes occur:
- Sleep is disturbed due to the need to empty the bladder.
- Sweating increases, which can lead to skin problems.
- The risk of cerebral edema increases.
- The concentration of vital elements in the body, for example, sodium or potassium, is disturbed.
- Digestion is disturbed, since the acidity of the gastric juice is reduced.
In connection with the above information, it is recommended to consume about 3 glasses of water during meals. As a result, during the day in the case of three meals a day it turns out that a person consumed a total of 8-9 glasses of this liquid.