Daily hydration is more habit than supplement. The practical levers, in order of impact:
- Environment design. A 1 L bottle in your eyeline at home and work outperforms any product choice. Most under-hydration is forgetfulness, not refusal.
- Habit anchoring. Stack drinks onto existing cues - a glass with each meal, before coffee in the morning, on every transition between tasks.
- Flavour where needed. If plain water is genuinely hard, a sugar-free electrolyte mix is a practical lever to turn it into something the brain reaches for.
The NHMRC suggests 2.6 L/day for men and 2.1 L/day for women including food. Hot conditions, training, body size, and diet all shift that meaningfully.
