Posted by Mr Beev on June 12, 2002, at 16:08:33
In reply to Can increased water intake affect med response?, posted by Rick on June 11, 2002, at 11:09:37
I have been quite hydrated for years, and have observed only benefits.
But there is an exception: heavy sweating. I regularly go running out of doors on very hot, very humid days. I have read that one may sweat as much as three quarts per hour (!) during such strenuous activity. When I first began this, I would feel awful after each run. Sometimes badly depressed as well. I had thought this was due to the climate - and no doubt it was - in part. On a hunch one day, after a run I mixed in 1/2 teaspoon salt in a liter of water.
I immediately felt much, much better. I hardly tasted the salt. I now do this regularly when I jog in very hot and humid weather. If one stops in a shop that caters to outdoor enthusiasts, and reads the list of ingredients in "emergency hydration powders", one will usually find that sodium choloride (salt) is the main component, followed by potassium. If I am not mistaken, we lose an order of magnitude more salt than potassium in our sweat.
I remember coming across a doctor stating that folks who are well-hydrated need to make sure they get enough salt in their diet. This is rarely a problem for most Americans, since they are said to consume almost three times as much salt they need every day. But more by sheer chance, I am on a very low salt diet. I believe a suggested ratio of adding salt is something like 1/4 tsp. salt per quart of water drunk each day. I do not pay much attention to this, except on days when I run.
Best regards,
Mr Beev
poster:Mr Beev
thread:109469
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020609/msgs/109606.html