Can you get electrolyte withdrawal?

DonDaddyD

I read somewhere that the body doesn't naturally produce electrolytes. I could be wrong.

Anyway a couple times now I've tried electrolyte powder exercised, by way of bike, and the day after I've gotten a headache.

Now, in contrast I've down the same exercise, varying in intensity, but had no electrolytes and not gotten a headache.

Is there some sort of comedown from the substance or is it just me?

jonginge

Hmm, not heard of that before.

Could just be a normal dehydration headache. Is it possible you were more dehydrated after the rides where you felt the need to use the powder? Or could it be that coz you used the powder you were laxer at rehydrating afterwards? The mind plays funny games sometimes

ride_whenever

more likely you were dehydrated even with magic electrolyte goo!

Or you're intolerant to one of the ingredients in that particular drink. What were you using? It could be aspartame perhaps. Maybe try nunn which has always been very well received by my athletes.

suzyb

oooh could that be why I get a lot of headaches after cycling, because I'm not drinking enough and am getting dehydrated.

jonginge

suzyb wrote:

oooh could that be why I get a lot of headaches after cycling, because I'm not drinking enough and am getting dehydrated.

Could be. Weigh yourself before and after to see how much you've 'glowed' out.

DonDaddyD

JonGinge wrote:

Hmm, not heard of that before.

Could just be a normal dehydration headache. Is it possible you were more dehydrated after the rides where you felt the need to use the powder? Or could it be that coz you used the powder you were laxer at rehydrating afterwards? The mind plays funny games sometimes

I've got a headache now, and I've had a lot of fluid.

I used the powder/water/solution on the ride into Brighton, only water on the way to Horsham and water, tea, milk/cereal since yesterday. I deliberately didn't want to use electrolyte powder when I got home to rehydrate because I wanted to recover without the need for it.

jonginge

Long day on the bike yesterday.
Did you eat enough? During and after the ride? Could be low blood sugar...
Possibly slight neck strain after so long in the saddle?

The above are hypotheses. I'd get more worried if it persists...


I did, at one point, get adrenaline/endorphine withdrawal if I stopped exercising for a few days. I don't think this is that.

jairaj

I think Im the opposite to you. I get headaches after exercise on hot days. After some very rudimentary tests on my self I think I put this down to low salt levels and poor hydration with much more emphasis on low salt levels.

I sweat a LOT so tend to loose salts a lot too, when I just have water I still get a bit of a fuzy head but since I've been using isotonic drinks and replenishing the salts I've felt the effect less.

Its quite hard to get accurate results outside of a lab, so even though you may think you are sweating the same amount and drinking roughly the same amount from day to day, in reality the actual amounts can be different. Maybe take a average over a larger sample size?

vorsprung

I have never noticed this effect or anything similar when using Hammer Endurolyte powder or Nuun tablets

davmaggs

If your salt levels are too low then you would typically start feeling cramps coming on. What you don't want to do is to drink loads and loads of plain water without some kind of salts (via food or drink) otherwise you end up with water intoxification and can die.

That being said I suspect that a lot of sports drinks sales are to people who really don't need them or the calories.

Try another brand, sometimes they can contain stuff that doesn't agree with you. Also the sun may be a factor at this time of the year

DonDaddyD

I'm gonna try another brandb and measure the powder to water ration perfectly next time.

Another thing I've noticed along with th headaches is that re-hydration is difficult after having done exercise and drinking my current electrolyte solution. It's like plain water (and food) won't work after I've had it (the electrolyte stuff).

Maybe its me or if I'm going to use performace stuff I need to take it all a little more seriously...

notsoblue

The headache could well be due to the sweetener used in these types of mixes.

ride_whenever

as a rule of thumb you need to drink twice what your body weight has dropped to rehydrate relatively quickly after exercise, if you drink what you've lost IIRC you're still dehydrated 6 hours later.

davmaggs

If you are worried about dehydration a good rule of thumb is the colour of your pee. If it's dark and perhaps you aren't going too often then you need more water. If its clear then you are usually good.

All works after a night out on the beers.


Perhaps think about easing off on the electrolyte drinks. If you feel good after training, no real cramping then you aren't lacking salts

Oddjob62

Started getting cramps as the weather got hotter. Not had them since i started upping my electrolyte intake about a month ago (Elete tablet every morning before my long ride and Nuun in my onboard water)

biondino

I really doubt it's the hydration tablets, especially if they're isotonic. Also, these electrolytes are essentially stuff like potassium, sodium etc. which you eat every day so whether they're produced naturally in your body isn't the issue - it's whether you've depleted them and need more.

If you drink too much isontonic drink, you'll just pee more. You'd have to be going mental for anything else to happen.

(it is of course possible that sweetener or whatever is the culprit)