Open evidence registry

Hydration evidence explorer

Inspect the claim, intended scope, calculator use, safety boundary, and named original sources behind the site.

Quick answer

WaterDailyGoal separates population reference values, peer-reviewed measurement guidance, safety boundaries, and transparent site formula choices. Each record shows what a claim supports and where it should not be stretched into diagnosis or treatment.

16 source-backed recordsDataset version 2026-07-17Formula WDG-2026.07Reviewed 2026-07-17

Showing 16 of 16 evidence records

formulapublic-healthreference-intake

Adult reference intakes

NAM and EFSA adequate-intake values describe total water from drinks plus food, not a prescription for every individual day.

Scope
Healthy adults in temperate conditions; sex-specific reference values are population-level anchors.
Used by
Used as a sanity check so the formula lands near major public-health reference ranges for typical adults.

Named sources

formulacalculator-baseline

Weight-scaled baseline

WaterDailyGoal uses 33 ml/kg as a transparent operating midpoint, then adjusts for activity, climate, life stage, and GLP-1 settings.

Scope
General wellness estimate for adults; the 33 ml/kg value is a site formula choice, not a diagnostic rule.
Used by
Forms the daily drinking-goal baseline before activity, climate, and safety checks are applied.
Safety note
Medical fluid restrictions, kidney/heart/liver disease, and clinician instructions override the calculator.

Named sources

formulafood-waterdrink-target

Food water accounting

The calculator separates drinking water from total water because food and other beverages can contribute meaningfully to total intake.

Scope
Everyday mixed diets; food-water share varies by diet, climate, appetite, and illness.
Used by
Keeps the headline result actionable as a drinking target while methodology explains total-water context.

Named sources

heatactivitysafety

Heat and activity

Water needs rise with heat, humidity, physical activity, sweat, clothing, and illness, so flat glass-count advice is weak.

Scope
General wellness planning; heat illness symptoms require cooling and escalation, not only more drinking.
Used by
Supports the climate multiplier, activity add-ons, heat tools, and conservative heat-safety wording.
Safety note
Confusion, fainting, chest pain, stopped sweating with heat symptoms, or worsening symptoms need urgent action.

Named sources

electrolytessportsheat

Electrolyte context

Electrolytes are most relevant when sweat losses are long, hot, heavy, repeated, or paired with low food intake.

Scope
Sports and heat-work planning; sodium/potassium restrictions and blood-pressure concerns need clinician guidance.
Used by
Drives electrolyte decision-tree cues and sodium-loss wording without making electrolyte products a default.
Safety note
Electrolyte drinks should not be used to justify forced over-drinking.

Named sources

life-stagepregnancybreastfeedingsafety

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnancy and breastfeeding can raise fluid needs, but individual medical guidance comes first.

Scope
General pregnancy and lactation wellness pages; not a replacement for prenatal or postpartum care.
Used by
Sets conservative beverage floors and clinician-first copy on pregnancy and breastfeeding surfaces.
Safety note
Symptoms, high-risk pregnancy, vomiting, swelling, or medical restrictions should be handled with a clinician.

Named sources

medication-adjacentglp-1safety

GLP-1 medication support

GLP-1 medication labels and patient information warn that nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low appetite can raise dehydration concerns.

Scope
Medication-adjacent wellness support; the site does not advise dose changes or treatment decisions.
Used by
Supports the GLP-1 toggle, GLP-1 calculator flow, gentle sip routine, and clinician-warning copy.
Safety note
Persistent vomiting, diarrhea, kidney symptoms, or inability to drink should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Named sources

drink-countingcaffeinebeverage-hydration-index

What counts as water

Moderate coffee, tea, milk, and many water-rich drinks can contribute to fluid intake, while caffeine, sugar, and stimulants still matter.

Scope
General drink-counting guidance for healthy adults; sensitive groups should follow product and clinician guidance.
Used by
Supports the drink-counting hub, beverage hydration index tool, and source-backed drink verdict pages.

Named sources

older-adultshabit-loopsafety

Older-adult hydration routines

Older adults may need more deliberate hydration prompts because thirst can be less reliable and heat or illness can raise risk faster.

Scope
General wellness routines for older adults; clinician-set fluid limits override any habit target.
Used by
Supports the older-adult calculator, age guide, heat-wave checklist, and caregiver-friendly pacing copy.
Safety note
Heart, kidney, liver, sodium, and fluid-restriction instructions should be set by a clinician.

Named sources

drink-countingcaffeinesafety

Caffeine and stimulant boundaries

Caffeinated drinks can count toward fluid intake in moderation, but caffeine dose, sugar, stimulants, sleep, and blood-pressure sensitivity still matter.

Scope
Healthy-adult drink counting; children, pregnancy, heart rhythm concerns, anxiety, and medication contexts need extra caution.
Used by
Supports coffee, tea, soda, energy-drink, and drink-index verdicts without presenting all drinks as equivalent to water.

Named sources

safetysportselectrolytes

Overdrinking and pacing

Forcing large volumes of plain water, especially during long endurance or hot-work contexts, can be unsafe; pacing and sodium context matter.

Scope
General wellness and sport planning; symptoms of hyponatremia, heat illness, or worsening confusion require urgent escalation.
Used by
Supports high-goal warnings, hourly pacing copy, marathon guidance, electrolyte decision prompts, and the 'too much water' safety guide.
Safety note
The site avoids recommending more than about 1 litre per hour and treats very high goals as a caution flag.

Named sources

workplaceheatsafety

Workplace heat planning

Hydration plans for heat work should be paired with shade, cooling, breaks, workload changes, and escalation steps instead of relying on water alone.

Scope
Construction, warehouse, delivery, school, coaching, and outdoor-work guidance; it does not replace an employer heat-safety policy.
Used by
Supports the heat-shift planner, workplace toolkit, supervisor printables, and heat-wave checklist.
Safety note
Heat illness symptoms should trigger cooling and workplace or emergency procedures, not only extra fluids.

Named sources

heatworkplaceurgent-caresafety

Heat illness escalation

Heat illness warning signs can overlap with dehydration, but confusion, fainting, severe weakness, seizures, or worsening symptoms require cooling and urgent escalation.

Scope
Heat-wave, outdoor-work, warehouse, delivery, coach, teacher, sauna, and exercise-in-heat guidance; not a diagnostic checklist.
Used by
Keeps heat tools and guides from framing every symptom as a drink-more-water problem.
Safety note
Escalation and cooling come before hydration math when symptoms are severe or worsening.

Named sources

kidney-stonesurinesafetymedical-adjacent

Kidney-stone hydration context

Fluid intake is commonly part of kidney-stone prevention guidance, but stone type, diet, medications, and clinician instructions change the right plan.

Scope
General educational context for kidney-stone and dark-urine pages; not diagnosis, treatment, or a substitute for stone-specific care.
Used by
Supports cautious kidney-stone and dark-urine copy without turning the water calculator into a treatment plan.
Safety note
Pain, fever, vomiting, blood in urine, or known kidney disease should be handled with medical care.

Named sources

utiurinesafetymedical-adjacent

UTI and urinary symptom boundaries

Hydration can support urinary health, but UTI-like symptoms require medical judgment and should not be treated as a hydration-only issue.

Scope
General wellness guidance for UTI, urine-color, and dark-urine pages; not antibiotic advice or self-diagnosis.
Used by
Supports clinician-first warnings on urinary symptom pages and helps avoid overpromising water as a cure.
Safety note
Fever, chills, side or back pain, nausea, vomiting, blood in urine, pregnancy, or recurrent symptoms need prompt care.

Named sources

Maintained by the WaterDailyGoal TeamLast updated