The amount of water in a person depends on their age, gender and weight. The more water-rich muscles they have, the higher their water content. As we grow older, muscles shrink and water levels drops.
A newborn baby is almost three-quarters water – and the proportion of water in the body drops gradually from then on. Men contain more water than women, as they usually have more water-containing muscle.
The average adult male is about 60% water. The average adult woman is about 55% water because women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. Overweight men and women have more water, as a percent, than their leaner counterparts.
The percent of water depends on your hydration level. People feel thirsty when they have already lost around 2-3% of their body’s water. Mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired before thirst kicks in, typically around 1% dehydration.
Although liquid water is the most abundant molecule in the body, additional water is found in hydrated compounds. About 30-40% of the weight of the human body is the skeleton, but when the bound water is removed, either by chemical desiccation or heat, half the weight is lost.
Body chemistry
Water is essential ingredient of body cells. The millions of chemical reactions that power life take place in the water contained in the body’s cells. Different body tissues contain varying amounts of water, depending on their function. Muscle contains three times more water than bone.
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