Re: [at-l] Dehydration Questions for 'The Doc-In-The-House'

[Tim Wilson <timwilson@post.com>]

Anecdotal testing in my water bottle during my 98 thru hike suggested that
2/3 Sweetened Koolaid + 1/3 Gatorade (preferably of the same flavor), made
me feel a whole lot stronger and seemed to shorten my recovery 
time.  Especially,
when pulling multiple 20's in the middle of summer. Of course, that's an
unscientific sample size 1.

Stargazer

P.S.  Tips for getting the stink and salt residue out of your pack would be 
much
appreciated.



At 04:40 PM 05/03/2000 -0700, you wrote:
><sorry, getting honked here. How many couch potatoes is this thread bringing
>to tears? Salty tears. Ahhhh, the irony of that.....>
>
>Leave it at "simple water"? Let's not. The US Army lost 5 soldiers in
>training last year due to hyponatremia -- the condition of having "too much"
>water without balancing Na/K intake. They lost 3 to dehydration. They're back
>to issuing those salt tablets you were denigrating earlier. Hmmmm. (These
>data comes to me from a collegue who's exArmy, current reserve, trainer, from
>a conversation exactly a week ago. We talk about these things. Honest. This
>is Indiana: it's that or basketball.....)
>
>There's no reason to *suffer* from salt loss, but this is what you are
>directly encouraging. Fact: Rehydration occurs faster with a dilute
>carbohydrate solution than with plain water. Fact: introduction of plain
>water will dilute bodily electrolyte balance which the body has been busy
>equilibrating during exercise. <cue Spock> Logic dictates a dilute
>carbohydrate solution which also contains needed electrolytes.
>
>Now, am I "the experienced athlete...learning from mistakes"? I suppose I am.
>I'm running in the IndyLife Indy500 MiniMarathon in just 3 days, hoping to
>come in in the top 500 (out of 23,500) so I can get a big fat medal. (That's
>a race within the race, you see.) I'll be running against folks putting in up
>to 50 miles per week; I am lucky to have averaged 14.8 since January 1, just
>20 per week in the last 10 weeks. That ain't squat for mileage. These other
>folk wouldn't know a good training injury if it reached up and bit them in
>their little BB-butts. Me? I fight off symptom after symptom, trying to reach
>certain performance levels on training which just doesn't measure up to the
>mileage reasonably needed. (My only solace is that, to date, I haven't
>suffered the same injury twice.) Think of it this way, OB: I don't run
>without leaving a salt residue on my clothes. I haven't learned this stuff
>'cause I'm good, or particularly smart; I've learned it because I *try*.
>
>Go out yourself this summer and hit the AT in PA. Stack six or seven 20
>milers in the heat of summer and wonder at the deposits which you see on your
>shoulder straps (once they dry out). Or, the next time you find yourself
>whipped by a good 3-day fever, go take a long walk. THEN tell me "water's
>just fine" for the less-than-elite athlete.
>
>There is no reason to suffer. What was that? "...and rarely learning from the
>mistakes of others...."?
>
>--- "W F Thorneloe, MD" <thornel@attglobal.net> wrote:
> > Well, the experienced athlete has learned how to budget energy, water, and
> > time. The experience usually comes as a result of learning from mistakes,
> > and rarely learning from the mistakes of others.
> >
> > Lets leave it at the idea that simple water is an excellent hydration
> > resource. That is a message from the Department of Redundancy Department.
> >
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