Why Troy Aikman Drinks Two Gallons of Water a Day

According to a recent piece by Insider, Troy Aikman is officially a HydroHomie.

The three-time Super Bowl winner and current lead color analyst for the NFL on Fox drinks a lot of water — up to two gallons a day. The habit was inspired by another legendary quarterback (and well-established hydration fanatic): Tom Brady.

A few years ago, Brady apparently walked into a meeting with Aikman clutching a “a big jug” of water. Aikamn reports: “I was reading more about the benefits of water, making sure you’re hydrated, and I thought, ‘I’m going to get a jug’ because Tom had one that one time.”

But wait, it gets better. Aikman has been dedicated to spreading the multi-gallon gospel ever since, and a few weeks ago, broadcast booth partner Joe Buck officially converted to the lifestyle. He brought a jug to Week 15’s Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens matchup.

This agua arms race is all a bit ridiculous, in case you couldn’t tell from our tone. Hydration is extremely important for day-to-day performance and longevity, but doubling or tripling your recommended daily intake won’t have a compounding positive impact. As Dr. Philip Goglia explained to us in our profile on the topic: “For overall health, and weight loss in particular, you should be drinking 1/2 oz to 1 oz of water per pound of body weight each day.”

I’m a 180-pound man. That means I need a gallon and change, at most, for quality function and performance. A lifetime of hitting that number will prevent kidney damage, regulate body temperature, help maintain a healthy weight (by catalyzing the metabolism), and lubricate the joints. It will not “brighten” my skin overnight, as too many online bloggers seem to believe, or, as Brady himself wrote in his book, The TB12 Method, protect you from sunburns.

Brady and Aikman both deserve credit for their commitment to fitness. Despite their flirtations with pseudoscience, both clearly care, and both put in the work every single day. (Aikman, at 55-years-old, has a hell of a weekly regimen.) But for those coming in well under two gallons per day, don’t be alarmed. If you make sure to drink when you’re thirsty, you’ll hit your numbers. The only thing these Hall of Famers are getting from this habit is more time in the bathroom.