Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Drinks Four Gallons of Water a Day — Is That Okay?
We had experts weigh in.
Doctors and nutritionists always like to remind us that drinking a lot of water is important, especially if you're out in the heat or exercising. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson seems to really be taking that advice to heart — but, is he going too far?
In an Instagram post where he announced he bought stake in Voss water, The Rock shared the staggering information that he drinks four gallons of water a day. "The idea of owning water always intrigued me — partly because I drink 4 gallons a day💧😁 and want to deliver it to the world," he captioned the post.
Four gallons — that’s a lot of water! And, while you might trust The Rock when it comes to his fitness and diet regime, his excessive water intake might not the best to emulate.
We have a tendency to think that because something is good for you, a lot must be even better. But when it comes to drinking water, you actually can go overboard. "Although, it is not a common issue, drinking too much water can be a bad thing," said Lauren Cadillac, RD. “If we drink too much water we essentially dilute our blood which means we dilute our electrolytes, including sodium,” said Cadillac.
When this happens it can cause hyponatremia. "Due to the fact that sodium helps to balance fluid between the outside and inside of the cells, if sodium drops too low, fluid shifts into the cells and causes them to swell. If this happens in the brain, the effects could potentially be life-threatening," said Cadillac.
And that's not all you have to worry about. According to Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table, "There is such a thing as water intoxication, which could affect sodium balance, heart rhythm and brain function, to name a few." The main issue comes from the kidneys inability to process all that liquid. Kidneys can excrete up to seven gallons of fluid per day, but they can only excrete one liter per hour. Keep in mind, though, says Taub-Dix, that everyone is different, so even this amount could be too much for some people.
The reality is, though, not drinking enough water is probably a bigger problem than over hydration. "Too many of us, especially in warmer climates, walk around lethargic, moody and lightheaded without realizing that they might just be dehydrated," said Taub-Dix. According to The Institute of Medicine, which sets Dietary Reference Intakes for all nutrients, women need around 11 cups of water a day, while men need 15.6 cups a day.
While he is definitely exceeding 15.6 cups a day, something tells us The Rock is doing just fine. He IS The Rock, after all. But maybe think twice before trying it for yourself any time soon. "Considering the Rock is about 6'5", weighs roughly 260 pounds and is likely extremely active in the gym, his fluid needs will be much higher than the average person. I would not suggest emulating the Rocks fluid intake," said Cadillac.
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