Trouble rehydrating, any suggestions?

YeehaaMcgee
YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
edited May 2012 in Health, fitness & training
Recently I've noticed that even though I drink plenty of water, by the morning I'm always feeling sluggish and dehydrated, and my urine looks a deep, dark amber colour.
I've tried normal water, or nuun tablets, which usually help, but I just cannot seem to take on enough liquid.

Any suggestions on what I could do, apart from get an IV? :lol:
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Comments

  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,780
    Docs. Probably just a routine body change but run it by your GP anyway.

    You'll be sorry if your knob drops off or something.
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    I've had the same issue in the past, how much fluid are you taking on during a day?

    I know the general guide is 1.2 litres of water a day, however as you may have read form the 'what fluids' thread, water isn't absorbed by the body too easily.

    I would try replacing simple water with hypotonic drink solutions. They are a low energy source but assist with the uptake of fluid.
    Easy to make your own.

    Make your own - You will need:

    100ml of squash
    One litre of water
    Pinch of salt
    Mix, cool and drink

    taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_ ... 289704.stm

    Personally, I don't believe that any of the tablets/energy drinks offer any benefit over the ones you can make yourself.
    The electrolyte goo stuff is good though.

    As above, if the problem persists, sek advice from your doc!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    Personally, I don't believe that any of the tablets/energy drinks offer any benefit over the ones you can make yourself.
    The electrolyte goo stuff is good though.
    I agree that they're not really any better than the ones you can make yourself, but they're just more convenient.
    I carry a change of clothes and food to work each day, and I haven't really got any room for fluids, so nuun tabs are handy to carry.
    But they don't seem to be doing the job any more.
    I'll try making your concoction and hammering it in the evenings.
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  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    can you not get a bottle cage on your bike ? if there aren't mounts in the frame you can get clip ones - drink before you leave as well, as others have said talk to GP
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    edhornby wrote:
    can you not get a bottle cage on your bike ? if there aren't mounts in the frame you can get clip ones - drink before you leave as well, as others have said talk to GP
    There really isn't anywhere suitable for a bottle on the bike. It might have something underneath the downtube, but I'm not sure.
    I do drink plenty before going. Breakfast is usually a bowl of cornflakes and a pint of juice or Berocca, then I'll have a glass of water after getting to work, followed by constant sipping of water throughout the day.
    Cheers for the suggestion though.
    I need to go see my GP for something anwyay, I'll have to mention it when I'm there. My blood pressure has been acting up again recently, so maybe the two are linked somehow.
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  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    100ml of squash
    One litre of water
    Pinch of salt
    Mix, cool and drink
    Any idea if the 100ml of squash means 100ml of cordial, or 100ml of already mixed squash+water?
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  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    100ml of squash
    One litre of water
    Pinch of salt
    Mix, cool and drink
    Any idea if the 100ml of squash means 100ml of cordial, or 100ml of already mixed squash+water?
    It will be undiluted squash, NOT sugar free stuff :)
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Ok cool. Just tried it with some Ribena. Not sure if that's going to have the same effect, or if there's something specific about Orange squash or some such.
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  • bwtmc
    bwtmc Posts: 31
    Other than drinking more water, you coukd try eatting more fruit and veg they will provide you with an extra source of wather also you would benifit from extra minerals and vitamans and natrual sugurs with will be useful while out riding.....


    Hope this helps, and sorry if there are loads of spelping/typing mistakes im typing while walking.
  • voodooman
    voodooman Posts: 183
    Are you drinking loads of tea and coffee?

    If so try drinking green tea in the evening, and no coffee. I make my own mix for spin at the gym, or big sets out in the new forest. Juice of one big orange, teaspoon brown sugar, pinch of salt and warm water from the kettle. Give it a shake, and that's enough for a bottle.

    My dad (ex-footballer and still runs half-marathons) swears by a capful of cider vinegar in a glass of water for re-hydrating, but to me it smells like I imagine dilute wee to smell.posting.php?mode=reply&f=20024&t=12852666&sid=6cacaf7a2211fdfea7c2584f69f70435# He reckons it was recommended to him by the physio, but then again that was back in the late sixties / early seventies. Bloody disgusting.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Eugh, I'll give the vinegar a miss, I think. Can't stand vinegar anwyay.
    I do drink a large amount of tea, but rarely drink coffee these days.
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  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Eugh, I'll give the vinegar a miss, I think. Can't stand vinegar anwyay.
    I do drink a large amount of tea, but rarely drink coffee these days.

    as you probably know tea is a diuretic (not as much as coffee) and will speed up water loss, try to cut down if you can.
    Finished, Check out my custom Giant Reign 2010
    Dirt Jumper Dmr Sidekick2
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I never thought of it as a particularly powerful diuretic though, if that's the case then I'll certainly try and cut down on tea drinking for a while, see if it helps.
    Thanks.
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  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    The way it was explained to me is that there is so much water in our food these days (to bulk it up and make it taste OK) that we don't know what it is to feel thirsty anymore. We eat when we're low on water because our confused brains and digestive systems associate food with water. In the short term, the next time you feel hungry wait for seven minutes. If you still feel hungry, have a glass of water. Wait another seven minutes and if you still feel hungry have something to eat.

    In the long term try and drink more water than you normally would to get the body used to the idea of water-without-food. For a while it will simply sluice straight through but eventually it will start to be absorbed (muscles esp can be like dried-up husks and need saturating with water to get them used to the idea of absorbing it)
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    .blitz wrote:
    The way it was explained to me is that there is so much water in our food these days (to bulk it up and make it taste OK) that we don't know what it is to feel thirsty anymore. We eat when we're low on water because our confused brains and digestive systems associate food with water. In the short term, the next time you feel hungry wait for seven minutes. If you still feel hungry, have a glass of water. Wait another seven minutes and if you still feel hungry have something to eat.

    In the long term try and drink more water than you normally would to get the body used to the idea of water-without-food. For a while it will simply sluice straight through but eventually it will start to be absorbed (muscles esp can be like dried-up husks and need saturating with water to get them used to the idea of absorbing it)
    I know exactly what you mean, but I really have been drinking large quantities of water recently, because I'm trying to get back to a sensible weight. So, rather than munch on something when I'm hungry, I'll have a large glass of water. I'll also drink a large glass just before lunch, which means I can eat less, and still feel full.
    I'm at a bit of a loss as to why the urine is still quite dark in the mornings, although it has improved somewhat over the last fortnight, even thoguh I have been drinking less water, curiously.
    Anyway, I'm going to try and see the GP tomorrow for other issues, so I'll mention it.

    Thanks for all your suggestions though, keep them coming, they are much appreciated.
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Drinking your drinks slow and steady is better than gulping huge amount at once, i've heard. Supposedly gives your body time to absorb it properly instead of overloading it with loads at once then going without for another couple of hours then gulping lots again.

    Might be something to consider?
  • Dartster
    Dartster Posts: 56
    I also have problems with de-hydrating, i sweat really easily so have to really try and stay on top of hydration.

    I don't claim to be an expert on it, but i've got the jist of it.

    Basically water on its own is no good if your doing proper exercise and want to stay hydrated. The problem is that your losing all your essential salts and such through your sweat, its these that need to be replaced. Water on its own doesn't contain Sodium and all the other stuff that needs to be replaced.

    I personally use SiS Super hydro Sachets in my camel back. found here http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sis ... ?query=SIS

    Mix that with taking an energy gel, as they contain the essentials as well generally, and your in business!
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Dartster wrote:
    Water on its own doesn't contain Sodium and all the other stuff that needs to be replaced.
    Tap water does in some parts of the country. Most in fact contain enough to act as suitable electrolytes.

    Source: Studied Hydrology and Supply Logistics at uni
  • Dartster
    Dartster Posts: 56
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Dartster wrote:
    Water on its own doesn't contain Sodium and all the other stuff that needs to be replaced.
    Tap water does in some parts of the country.

    Which parts? :wink:
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Dartster wrote:
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Dartster wrote:
    Water on its own doesn't contain Sodium and all the other stuff that needs to be replaced.
    Tap water does in some parts of the country.

    Which parts? :wink:
    +Potato.
    I'm intrigued, have you any details?
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Dartster wrote:
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Dartster wrote:
    Water on its own doesn't contain Sodium and all the other stuff that needs to be replaced.
    Tap water does in some parts of the country.

    Which parts? :wink:
    London for starters. I *think* it was somewhere around 100mg/L ish if i remember correctly. The legal limit is 150mg/L for tap water.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    We're going back a bit here but i seem to remember it being to do with what type of source it is, aquifers down to chalk marl base layers (such as those around the south east) have much higher sodium contents than places that take it from reservoirs.

    Oh and the whole thing about fluorine being added to the supply to help people's teeth is BS too.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Do you mean that fluorine IS added to water, but it's not for teeth, or do you mean that it ISN'T added to water?
    And, water in North Wales, which generally comes from reservoirs will have a fairly low sodium content?
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I couldn't comment on Wales, i have no idea. It was only a module of my Surveying degree. A lot of this was gained from reading around the content. However with regards to the fluorine people often say it's to help people's teeth but in reality the amount is too low to have any effect, it's one of those urban myths.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I suspected it wasn't there to help dental health.
    So, what IS fluorine added for then? Or is it just a natural occurring thing?
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Well, it's a bit controvertial and complicated but some companies have added it to try and pass their water off as medically healthier to unassuming consumers but there's no evidence to suggest that fluoride added to drinking water does help prevent tooth decay, and it's a criminal offence to market it as having medicinal benefits.

    However they have tried to get around it by passing it off as a "food" where fluoridation chemicals have been added to provide supplement to RDA's, which again was later ruled illegal.

    Naturally occuring i'd say was so minute it would be classed as trace.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    It's certainly one of the more interesting modules i've looked into, and i did a lot of reading around the subject. Although it's of limited benefit to me as a building surveyor they still taught us water supply and logistics issues because surveyors do deal a lot with services connection.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Market their water? But you really don't have a choice what water you get when you open the tap! How odd.
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  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    They want you to drink it as drinking water through the day instead of bottled water so you pay more (although bottled water is literally unchlorinated tap water - don't even get me started).
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Bottled water is a big con, as I understand it. Doesn't tap water have to pass more stringent tests?
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