Everyday guide · water · balance
Water tracking: enough, but not too much.
Water supports circulation, temperature control, digestion and kidney function. Tracking reveals the whole day’s pattern and helps prevent both persistent shortfall and rushed overdrinking.
Why water matters
Hydration supports the whole day.
Water transports nutrients, helps remove waste and replaces fluid lost through urine, sweat and breathing.
Temperature and circulation
Fluid helps regulate body temperature and maintain normal blood volume.
Kidneys and urine
Adequate water supports a larger, less concentrated urine volume and the removal of dissolved substances.
Comfort and digestion
Low intake can contribute to fatigue, headache, dizziness, dry mouth and constipation.
The app’s actual logic
The water zone scales directly with body weight.
When manual limits are not set, DailyBalance calculates the lower and upper daily zone from the entered body weight.
Default DailyBalance formula
Minimum = body weight × 20 mlUpper guide = body weight × 40 ml
20 ml/kg is the app’s lower tracking boundary and 40 ml/kg is the upper daily guide. Neither is a diagnostic dehydration threshold or a water-toxicity limit. EFSA’s adult adequate total-water values are about 2.0 L for women and 2.5 L for men, including beverages and water in food.
For example, at 70 kg the app shows a 1,400–2,800 ml zone. The midpoint guide is about 2,100 ml.
When water is too low
Concentrated urine makes crystal formation easier.
Low water intake does not simply make table salt collect in the kidneys. The kidneys produce less, more concentrated urine, allowing dissolved substances to crystallise more readily.
Dehydration
Thirst, dark-yellow urine, urinating less often, fatigue, headache, dizziness and a dry mouth are common signs. Severe dehydration can impair kidney function.
Kidney stones
Low urine volume raises the concentration of calcium, oxalate, uric acid and other solutes. This can promote crystals and stones, especially in people who are susceptible.
When water is too high
More does not always mean better hydration.
Risk depends on drinking speed as well as the daily total. If a very large amount is consumed quickly, the kidneys may not remove it fast enough.
Hyponatraemia
Excess water can dilute sodium in the blood. This is often not too little salt in the diet; there is simply too much water relative to sodium, and water moves into cells.
Possible warning signs
Nausea, headache, unusual drowsiness, muscle weakness or cramps and confusion can be warning signs. Severe cases may cause seizures, loss of consciousness and brain swelling.
Everyday practice
Track the rhythm; do not compete for litres.
- ✓Drink steadily.
Start in the morning and spread intake across the day instead of catching up at night. - ✓Watch body signals.
Pale-yellow urine usually suggests adequate hydration; dark and infrequent urine can suggest a shortfall. - ✓Adapt to conditions.
Heat, exercise, fever, vomiting or diarrhoea can increase fluid and sometimes electrolyte needs. - ✓Make water the default.
Tea, coffee and food moisture also count, but plain water adds no sugar or calories.
Sources and note
The goal is safe daily balance.
This article provides general education. DailyBalance is not a medical device, and its calculated zone does not replace a clinician-prescribed fluid target.
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water
- European Association of Urology — Urolithiasis guideline
- NHS — Dehydration
- CDC — Heat stress hydration
Reviewed 23 August 2026. Formula checked against the default calculation logic in this version of app.html.