"How Much Urine Can a Bladder Hold?" and Other Pressing Bladder Questions

Throughout life, the amount of urine that our bladder can hold changes, and it is important to understand when and why these changes may come about. The average adult bladder capacity is 300-400 ml, but this can differ based on gender, age, other factors such as pregnancy, and diseases or conditions which affect the bladder, such as .

If you are wondering how much fluid the bladder can hold at different stages of your life, then TENA is here to help. Our guide to bladder capacity and function has been reviewed by urologist Dr John S. Young and is designed to answer any ‘pressing’ questions you might have about how your bladder works.

Does Bladder Capacity Change with Age?

As you age, your bladder capacity changes. Babies are born with small bladders, only able to contain between 30-60ml of liquid. As they age and grow, the bladder grows in size and its capacity increases, reaching anywhere from 200-300ml during puberty, to around 300-400ml once they have finished growing.

The bladder can safely hold even more urine, as Dr. J. Young informed us, being able to hold up to 2 litres of urine without permanent damage. It isn’t uncommon for patients presenting to A&E (often in a state of distress) to have their bladder drained as a matter of urgency, and it isn’t unusual to drain 2 litres in this scenario.

Bladder Capacity Male vs Female

The average bladder capacity for males and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) is generally greater than that of females and those assigned female at birth (AFAB).

Some males can hold up to 700ml of liquid in the bladder, whereas females typically cannot hold more than 500ml. This is not always applicable though, and many males and females have similarly sized bladders.

Do You Urinate More When You Get Older?

Although your bladder stops growing once you have reached adulthood, it will likely not remain the same size for the rest of your life. Bladder capacity and age are linked, and for many people, getting older may mean a reduction in bladder capacity. This can stem from diseases, nerve damage, and changes to the bladder wall which makes the organ less stretchy.

Ageing can also affect the ability of the bladder wall to squeeze out urine. This means more urine is left in the bladder, effectively decreasing bladder capacity. All this together means that most people will find themselves urinating more as they age.

Overactive bladder is a condition affecting approximately 1 in 5 adults. The proportion of people affected increases with age, so as many as 1 in 3 adults aged over 70 are affected. Overactive bladder is defined by the need to pass urine more frequently during the day and night (as well as urinary ‘urgency’ – a sensation to pass urine that cannot be deferred – and urinary incontinence). Individuals suffering with typically pass smaller volumes of urine – often less than 100 ml.

How to Increase Bladder Capacity Naturally

One way to address the need to pass urine more frequently is to take steps to increase bladder capacity. Bladder training is a common method used to help increase bladder capacity and works through training your bladder to suppress urges to urinate. The goal of bladder training is not to stop urinating, but to regain control of when you do. Those in the process of bladder training will attempt to hold their urine for increasing amounts of time, starting with a few minutes, and over a few months, building up to hours between toilet breaks. By increasing the amount of time between visits to the toilet, they are training the bladder to hold larger volumes of urine.

Other ways to increase bladder capacity include:

Avoiding irritating or diuretic drinks – alcohols, caffeinated drinks, fizzy drinks, green and mint teas.
Drinking 1.5-2L of non-irritating beverages per day – water, fruit teas, caffeine-free drinks and milk.
Keeping a bladder diary – which can help you and a clinician (such as your GP) assess what you drink, when this is and how this relates to when and how much urine you pass.
Practicing pelvic floor exercises – to help strengthen the muscles used to maintain a full bladder without leaking.

How Often Should We Pee?

Most people will urinate around 7 times a day, but this can vary a great deal. Among other things, your age, drinking habits, your job or other responsibilities and medical conditions can all affect the number of times a day you urinate.

If you often find yourself urinating more than 8 times a day, then it is advisable to complete a bladder diary before visiting the doctor to check if any undiagnosed diseases or conditions are causing your frequent urination.

How Long Can You Hold in Your Pee?

You begin to feel the urge to pee long before your bladder capacity is met, but this does not mean it is a good idea to hold a pee for a long time. Most people visit the bathroom every 3-4 hours, but this can vary.

There are no set rules on how long can you hold in your pee, but possible side effects of holding in urine for too long include UTIs, damage to , and (in rare cases) damage to the kidneys/reflux.

How Long Does It Take for Water to Reach the Bladder?

After you drink water, it will take 5-30 minutes for it to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, it will take a further 30 minutes or so to reach the bladder. Typically, water is absorbed into the bloodstream and taken to the bladder faster than other liquids because the body does not need to first remove carbohydrates, fats or proteins - present in other liquids.

Where Does Water Go When You Drink It?

The question of where water goes when you drink it is more complex than simply the bloodstream and bladder. Once ingested, water go through a shorter version of the digestive process our bodies use to break down food.

Ingested water is taken to the stomach, where it passes to the small intestine and large intestine. Liquid is then absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. If excess liquid is absorbed into the blood, it is filtered by the kidneys and becomes urine that fills your bladder capacity.

Where Does Pee Come From?

The more you drink, the more water is processed by your kidneys and turned into urine. Urine passes from the kidneys to the bladder, and the bladder fills with urine. At a certain volume, your body gets the urge to urinate.

Our bodies do not just excrete water through urine. We also lose water through sweat and stool (faeces).

Male vs Female Differences When Passing Urine

If you’re wondering ‘where does a woman's pee come out?’, the answer is the through a thin tube from the bladder known as the urethra. This is a small opening, located below the clitoris and above the opening to the vagina. This means women have separate openings for passing urine and having sex.

Men also pee by releasing urine from the bladder, via the urethra. But in male bodies, the urethra passes from the bladder and through the , meaning the same tube carries semen and urine out of the penis.

Conclusion

Our bladders are one of our most important organs, and getting to know how they work and what can affect them is vital to staying healthy. If you are experiencing an , or conditions like a bladder fistula, TENA is here to help. Our range of expertly curated articles can help you understand your bladder in more detail, and answer important questions on how to increase bladder capacity, or how often we should pee.