Won't people just drink more dew?

Rug Burn Junky on 25/6/2007 at 18:10

I know my body fairly well, trust me, the water plays a substantial role. Though there are other things that come into play.

I'm also careful to make sure I don't end up going into water intoxication.

But really, my drinking schedule on a high end day (swimming in the morning, gym at night) is fairly reasonable:

Swimming in the morning: 24 oz water bottle before/during/after.
PWO Shake = 24 oz
Bottled water at my desk: 4X16.9 = 67.6 oz
Ginger Ale (1 with lunch, two with dinner): 3x12 = 36 oz
Protein Shakes = 3x20 = 60 oz
Workout: 2-3x24 oz water bottle
PWO Shake = 24 oz

Adds up to 307.6 oz.

The cramps aren't just anecdotal, I keep careful track of my diet/drinking/supplements, so I can see the cause/effect on this one. Trust me, when you have to stop swimming or wake up in the middle of the night because "oh-my-god-my-calves and-arches-are-cramping-what-the-fuck" you educate yourself and do whatever you can to avoid that. When I skimp on water throughout the day, or during my workout, they happen. If I skip the Taurine or potassium, they happen. If I keep too low sodium in my diet, they happen. When I pay attention to all of the above? I'm just fine and dandy.

And yeah, I do have to get up during the night to piss, but other than that, I have a bladder like a camel, and don't really need to go that often.

LesserFollies on 25/6/2007 at 19:46

It sounds like you're careful, RBJ, as opposed to people who just follow the trend like sheep. I'm wondering, though, if it isn't your massive intake of fluids that's depleting your potassium, hence the cramps. Your body might be all mixed up, and what seems to be a need for water is actually a surfeit of it. Maybe the water masks the lack of potassium due to the water?? But if it works for you, I guess, more power to you: at least you're taking care of your health. My bias is against those who drink all day because it's trendy, or because they misunderstand their need for water, or because they think that simply drinking a lot of water constitutes good health.

Rug Burn Junky on 25/6/2007 at 21:01

I think the fact that I sweat like a pig when I'm working out has more to do with it than anything else. ;)

But really, it's fucking hard to get hyperhydrated to the point where you're doing any damage. We're literally talking gallons upon gallons in a short period of time. The average person drinking a bit too much water isn't even close to hitting that point, and nobody is going to do damage at 64* oz of water a day. Unless you're participating in a marathon or a bladder burst, you're far more likely to be dehydrated than anything else.

(*or rather: 1/2 of bodyweight in oz, modified upwards for activity levels and caffeine intake).

Ultraviolet on 26/6/2007 at 08:17

NO NO YOU MUST NOT ARGUE WITH NEW SCIENCE
IF IT'S NEW SCIENCE AND SOMEBODY SAYS THE WORD "DEBUNK" IT MEANS YOU'RE A RUSTY OLD COOT LIVING IN THE BRONZE AGE
GOD I LOVE THIS FUCKING FONT

LesserFollies on 26/6/2007 at 17:50

Do you have anything to actually contribute to the discussion? If not, shut up.

Thief13x on 27/6/2007 at 00:39

Quote Posted by LesserFollies

Do you have anything to actually contribute to the discussion? If not, shut up.

whatsup pot?

I agree with RBJ, infact, it's a proven fact that most people are dehydrated most of the time. Don't think dehydration is causing problems in America? look at the obesity problem! yes believe it or not, many times what feels like hunger pain is actually just dehydration, and a quick bottle of water will confirm that!

Also, if you're yawning and you've had more than 6 hours of sleep the night before, it's more than likely dehydration, and a quick bottle will also confirm this. People also don't know that soda actually DEhydrates you, which is why I conctantly drink water... I buy bottled water about once a week, and just refill the bottle 10-15 times/day.

just a quick FYI :)

Pyrian on 27/6/2007 at 01:15

Scientifically, under the vast majority of circumstances, you should drink when you feel thirsty. It's kind of sad that that's pretty much the sum of the results of hundreds of studies.

BTW, liquid intake is not limited to drinking. In general you'll need to drink more if you're eating dry foods and less if you're eating juicy foods - in fact, if you eat enough of certain fruits and vegetables you don't actually need to "drink" per se at all.

One fact that tends to get overlooked is that nutritive standards are often first developed for extreme conditions. Take backpacking; the desire to pack light means you bring dry foods. This, in turn, increases the amount of water you need, as does the exercise and frequently the conditions. Backpacking water drinking standards are way, way above what you'd need sitting around in an office snacking on grapes.

User123abc on 27/6/2007 at 01:37

Quote Posted by SD

Probably the sort of person who likes to drink actual water rather than chlorine in solution. Isn't San Fran's water fluoridated too? Another good reason to avoid it, or at least get it filtered. Not everyone can be arsed lugging around a Brita jug everywhere though I guess.

I'm curious - is anyone here knowledgeable enough to tell me with some certainty whether or not the concentrations of chlorine and fluoride in US tap water are actually harmful?

With chlorine, I've heard of everything from impotence to cancer to autism to absolutely no effect. With fluoride, I actually somehow got the impression that it was even beneficial for the teeth.

I was never as meticulous as RBJ (really nice job staying active, though). I like to think that the body's self-regulating mechanisms are pretty finely tuned, so I trust my feeling of thirst or satiety. Generally, I try to drink a little more than thirst compels me to - especially if I know I'm going to be exerting myself physically - but never past the point where it seems I've had enough.

Although I should admit I wasn't always too vigilant. Working out with an upset stomach (the explosive kind of upset, to be clearer), I've been so dehydrated as to reach the point of quite literally producing foam in my mouth. I realized it was a bad idea pretty soon, but curiously I didn't experience any other extreme effects - no cramping, not too much faintness with that day's moderately intense lifting regime, and only slight shortness of breath.

The other golden rule, which I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet, is to pay attention to the color of one's piss.

EDIT: By the way, that yawning thing Thief13x mentioned sounds pretty interesting. A quick google search can't confirm it, though. Where did you learn this?

Thief13x on 27/6/2007 at 01:39

Quote Posted by Pyrian

Scientifically, under the vast majority of circumstances, you should drink when you feel thirsty.

I don't know man, every study that i've seen says if you're thirsty that you're already quite dehydrated, and I find this to be the case with myself. Like RBJ said, know your body, I can tell when I'm getting dehydrated sometimes up to a few hours before I feel thirsty. Usually for me, it's that my mind feels more sluggish, I feel tired, I have trouble concentrating, my eyes are un-focused, my stomache growles, etc. It's amazing to me how chugging a bottle of water instantly alleviates all of this

User123abc on 27/6/2007 at 01:46

Quote Posted by Thief13x

But isn't that in itself a body signal somewhat analogous to the feeling of thirst?