Too much especially too fast can flush out needed minerals and electrolytes, I know from experience. The struggle is figuring out how much you should be drinking. I cut back and then some days feel dehydrated. I’m struggling to find the balance. Seems silly to not understand how to drink water lol
It’s super rare to get water intoxication (too much water) and is mostly seen in endurance athletes. It’s not really about how much you drink over 24 hrs but how fast you drink it. The blanket recommendation is to not go over 1 L per hour. But of course this is different depending on sweat, activity, respiration, etc. But it’s a general rule. Drink 1-2 gal/day over the day should be fine.
My friend drank too much water over a period of time while getting ready for a long-distance run. He depleted his electrolytes and ended up in the hospital. It takes a while before electrolytes come back into balance. He was in really bad shape.
The question is *why* are you drinking so much water?
If you’re feeling thirsty / lightheaded, there’s a good chance you’ve been drinking too much water relative to your salt and electrolyte intake. This is particularly likely when you’re also losing a lot of electrolytes in your sweat.
Drink when you are thirsty. You absolutely can drink too much. We get fluids from our foods as well as our drinks. Over hydration rarely ends in death but it can, it’s more likely you’ll end up with swollen cells where your ankles and feet swell. One visual you can use to assure your electrolytes are okay is if your urine is too clear. It should be straw colored.
Actually you do have to check your electrolytes. When you drink a lot, your blood can get diluted and you can get low on sodium, potassium, etc. I drink around 6-8 liters a day, and so my doctor has me do a blood test each month to check electrolytes.´
I’ve heard in the past that yes, there is a thing as drinking too much water, because it can overwork your kidneys. So, clear pee all the time is a sign that you may be drinking a little too much. But I don’t know whether it’s life threatening or when it becomes life threatening.
Semi-related, there’s a really great, pretty short video about water myths on YouTube, I will find it and post it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4wZ79GzGU&ab_channel=Dr.EricBergDC