The kidneys continue their work at the same pace regardless of the season.
À medida que o inverno reduz silenciosamente os sinais de sede, o corpo humano continua exigindo a mesma quantidade de água que sempre precisou — e essa lacuna entre percepção e necessidade fisiológica está levando mais pessoas aos pronto-socorros com cálculos renais. A urina concentrada, agravada por suplementos proteicos e alimentos ultraprocessados ricos em sódio, cria condições propícias para a formação de cristais que podem obstruir o trato urinário. O inverno não muda a função dos rins, apenas engana a consciência de quem os carrega.
- O frio suprime os sinais de sede, levando as pessoas a ingerirem muito menos água do que o necessário, enquanto os rins continuam trabalhando no mesmo ritmo de sempre.
- A combinação de suplementos proteicos, alimentos processados ricos em sódio e sedentarismo invernal sobrecarrega o sistema urinário, acelerando a formação de cálculos.
- Os sintomas podem ser traiçoeiros — dor lombar, ardência ao urinar, sangue na urina — mas o processo que os causa se desenvolve silenciosamente ao longo de semanas.
- Casos graves evoluem para obstrução urinária, infecções e comprometimento da função renal, exigindo hospitalização e, em alguns casos, intervenção cirúrgica.
- Urologistas alertam que a prevenção depende de hidratação deliberada e contínua, independentemente da sensação de sede, especialmente para quem usa suplementos esportivos regularmente.
Quando a temperatura cai, os hábitos mudam de forma quase imperceptível. As pessoas bebem menos água sem perceber, porque o frio suprime os sinais naturais de sede. Esse pequeno desvio cotidiano tem uma consequência concreta: o aumento de casos de cálculos renais durante o inverno, uma relação que muitos ainda desconhecem.
Os cálculos se formam quando a urina fica concentrada demais, permitindo que minerais e sais se cristalizem no trato urinário. A dor, quando aparece, é intensa e súbita — mas o processo que a origina se desenvolve em silêncio, ao longo de semanas de hidratação insuficiente. Segundo o urologista Karlo Danilson Moraes Sousa, da Santa Casa de Mauá, o inverno cria condições ideais para essa desidratação silenciosa: o corpo sua menos, e as pessoas assumem erroneamente que precisam de menos água. Os rins, no entanto, não entram em modo de espera com o frio.
O risco se amplifica quando os hábitos alimentares do inverno entram em cena. O consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados — sopas industrializadas, embutidos, caldos prontos — aumenta a ingestão de sódio. Ao mesmo tempo, muitos praticantes de academia intensificam o uso de suplementos proteicos como whey, creatina e beta-alanina. Esses produtos não são prejudiciais por si só, mas exigem hidratação adequada para serem metabolizados com segurança. Sem ela, os rins trabalham em sobrecarga, a urina se concentra ainda mais e a excreção de cálcio aumenta — um caminho direto para a formação de pedras.
Os casos mais graves podem levar à obstrução urinária completa, infecções e danos à função renal, exigindo internação e até cirurgia. A prevenção, porém, é acessível: hidratar-se de forma constante e intencional ao longo do dia, reduzir processados, moderar o consumo de proteínas e buscar acompanhamento médico para o uso de suplementos. A mensagem do especialista é direta — a necessidade de água do organismo não muda com as estações, mesmo que a percepção de sede mude.
When the temperature drops, something shifts in how we move through the day. We reach for warmer clothes, we stay inside more, and without quite noticing it, we drink less water. The body stops signaling thirst the way it does in summer heat. This quiet change in habit is creating a measurable problem: more people are arriving at hospitals with kidney stones, and the season is playing a larger role than many realize.
Kidney stones form when urine becomes too concentrated, allowing minerals and salts to crystallize into hard deposits that can lodge in the urinary tract. The pain, when it comes, is sudden and severe—sharp enough to send someone to an emergency room. But the condition builds silently over weeks or months of insufficient hydration. According to Karlo Danilson Moraes Sousa, a urologist at Santa Casa de Mauá, winter creates ideal conditions for this silent dehydration. The body sweats less in cold weather, and people naturally assume they need less water. They're wrong. The kidneys continue their work at the same pace regardless of the season. When water intake drops, urine concentrates, and crystals begin to form.
The problem deepens when winter habits combine with other dietary patterns. Many people consume more processed foods during colder months—packaged soups, cured meats, ready-made broths, industrial seasonings—all high in sodium. At the same time, gym-goers and athletes often increase their use of protein supplements: whey powder, creatine, beta-alanine, and other compounds designed to build muscle. These supplements aren't inherently dangerous, Sousa explains, but they demand adequate hydration to process safely. Excess protein without sufficient water forces the kidneys to work harder, concentrating urine further and increasing calcium excretion—a direct pathway to stone formation. The combination of high-protein supplementation, salty processed foods, reduced water intake, and more sedentary indoor routines creates a cascade of risk.
The symptoms vary. Some people experience lower back pain or a burning sensation while urinating. Others notice blood in their urine, nausea, or an increased urge to urinate. The pain can radiate into the abdomen. In milder cases, the stone may pass on its own. But severe cases can block the flow of urine entirely, leading to infection and damage to kidney function itself. When that happens, hospitalization becomes necessary. Surgery may be required.
Prevention is straightforward in principle but requires intention during winter months. Constant hydration throughout the day is essential—not just when thirst strikes, but as a deliberate habit. Balanced nutrition matters: reducing processed foods, moderating protein intake, and maintaining awareness of sodium consumption. For anyone using sports supplements regularly, medical supervision becomes important. The urologist's message is clear: the body's need for water doesn't change with the season, even if our thirst does. Ignoring that gap between perception and physiology is what turns winter into kidney stone season.
Citas Notables
The body sweats less in cold weather, and people assume they need less water. But the kidneys continue functioning normally. When water intake drops, urine becomes more concentrated, making crystal formation easier.— Karlo Danilson Moraes Sousa, urologist at Santa Casa de Mauá
The problem isn't the supplement itself, but the lack of water. Excess protein combined with low hydration can overload the urinary system.— Karlo Danilson Moraes Sousa
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does cold weather specifically suppress thirst? Is it just that we're not sweating?
Partly, yes—the body doesn't lose water through perspiration the way it does in heat. But it's also psychological. We associate drinking with summer, with heat relief. In winter, we're reaching for hot tea or coffee instead of water, and we're not thinking about hydration the same way.
So people are drinking liquids, just not the right kind?
Exactly. A cup of coffee or tea doesn't hydrate the way water does. And many winter beverages are diuretics—they actually increase urination. Meanwhile, the kidneys are still filtering waste at the same rate, concentrating whatever urine does form.
You mentioned supplements being dangerous without water. But aren't athletes usually more health-conscious?
You'd think so, but awareness and behavior don't always align. Someone might be disciplined about their workout routine and protein intake but not connect that to needing more water. They see the supplement as the health move and miss the hydration piece entirely.
What does a kidney stone actually feel like when it happens?
The pain is sudden and intense—often described as the worst pain someone has ever experienced. It can come in waves. Some people also have blood in their urine, nausea, or feel like they need to urinate constantly but can't. It's not subtle.
And the serious cases—the ones requiring surgery—how common are those?
Most stones pass on their own within a few weeks. But if a stone blocks the ureter completely, urine backs up into the kidney. That's when infection sets in, and kidney function starts to decline. That's when you need intervention.
So the message is just: drink more water in winter?
It's that, but also awareness. Reduce processed foods, moderate protein if you're supplementing, and understand that your body's needs don't change because the weather did. It sounds simple because it is—but winter makes people forget.