
How long can a human go without peeing?
When nature calls, it's generally a good idea to obey when convenient, but by knowing your bladder means you could go longer than you think without a wee.
Asked by: Ben Warwick, Poole
The bladder holds 400-600ml of urine. Normal urine production is around 1.5 litres every 24 hours, so that would give you nine or 10 hours to completely fill up.
However you can drop to as little as 400ml of urine production a day for short periods without suffering harmful consequences. This could conceivably give you as long as 36 hours between trips to the loo.
Read more:
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.
Authors

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
Subscription offer
Subscribe and try your first 3 issues for just £5. After your introductory period you will pay just £22.99 every 6 issues by Direct Debit. Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery.