Hydrating effects of different types of drinking water?

[mrokern]

Everything I've read says that while water is better for "oh, I'm thirsty" hydration, electrolyte drinks are far better for prolonged exercise where sodium levels have measurably dropped.

There's a big difference in hydration needs between walking around the block and playing a period of NHL hockey, for example. ;-)

 

[vladimir]

"The information in this article is based entirely on clinical experience." That brings up the saying that, "The plural of anecdote is not data."

The information there about caffeine dehydrating is false. At least one paper examining this has previously been linked in threads discussing the topic, and I'm too lazy to search for it right now.

As far as I can tell, outside of the wacky fringes of health food nuttery, the other place you can get really bad information about the health effects of food and drink is in the athletic world.

And that is why we miss Dan Volker in this thread. If he were still here, he'd serve all that disinformation up on a silver platter.


I think there is an important distinction between vigorous, prolonged athletic competition and scuba diving that some of the posts are not acknowledging. I barely move on my dives, unless there's a current to do the work. If I break a sweat it is in the hammock between dives. I don't need to worry about electrolyte levels, or replacing glycogen, or any of that. I drink water, just like on non-dive days.

 

[Quero]

We're talking about scuba diving here, not NHL hockey or high school and college athletes on the sports fields of Southern California. Our dehydration doesn't come from exertion but rather from dry breathing gases, immersion diuresis, exposure to sun and wind. Just plain peeing it out or getting dried out from exposure. Electrolyte replacement, at least impressionistically to me, would seem to be far, far, far less an issue for the typical scuba diver than for a competition athlete.

I just cannot wrap my mind around why I should buy mineral water bottled from a source rather than drink ordinary water for rehydration while scuba diving.

 

[lowviz]

And that is why we miss Dan Volker in this thread. If he were still here, he'd serve all that [-]disinformation[/-] Alternative information up on a silver platter.

I know that I could be perma-banned for saying this, but I miss Dan...

---------- Post added August 24th, 2013 at 10:49 PM ----------

...//... I just cannot wrap my mind around why I should buy mineral water bottled from a source rather than drink ordinary water for rehydration while scuba diving.

Don't worry about it, your bod can't tell the difference either...

 

[vladimir]

I know that I could be perma-banned for saying this, but I miss Dan...

I think that Dan—and all the people who have been perma-banned for saying nice things about him—would appreciate the aura of conspiracy.

 

[cbm32]

It would seem that a concoction that serves well in keeping people hydrated in more demanding conditions would also serve well in less demanding conditions. Perhaps it is overkill, but is there any harm in that?

No one is trying to sell you a sports drink here or force you to drink anything you dont want to. Someone asked a question and some of us, trying to be helpful, offered our opinions (some educated opinions and some not and which is which is up to the reader to decide).

Some people simply do not discipline themselves to drink enough plain water. Many people, including me, dont like the taste or expense of the mass marketed sports drinks. The concoction I suggested has the advantage of giving the individual a chance to put together their own personalized drink that is appetizing to them and yet provides natural sugar, water, and electrolytes. Since they can play around and adjust it to their individual tastes, these people that have problems remembering to drink enough plain water, tend to drink more of the concoction.

If you prefer water and have no problems with dehydration when drinking nothing but water, that is great. I personally LOVE the taste of plain water and that is what all I drink about 90 the time. However, I have had many athletes that either are not thrilled with plain water or simply dont think to drink enough of it and this concoction has been a good answer for their needs.

I really can't understand that hostility that sometimes is generated by a post that is essentially harmless. Was someone an unsuccessful athlete or bullied by athletes and so finds it necessary to be try to bash anything and everything about the world of athletics or what?

 

[flots am]

Last time I went to one for a sore back they tried to sell me on the value of a high colonic cleansing to rid my body of toxins that was creating all my problems.

That makes me crazy.

I get massages now and then. Afterwards, the therapist always tells me to "drink lots of water to flush out the toxins".

I used to try to have fun and get them to describe these "toxins" in more detail, but they really have no idea what they're talking about or what you're supposed to "flush out" and it turned out to not be fun at all.

flots.

 

[vladimir]

It would seem that a concoction that serves well in keeping people hydrated in more demanding conditions would also serve well in less demanding conditions. Perhaps it is overkill, but is there any harm in that?

There is no reason to replace electrolytes that you haven't lost. Sports drinks have carbohydrates (usually sugar) that might be useful to an athlete expending a lot of energy, but are of no use to most divers. And yes there is harm in too much sugar.

If a diver decides to hydrate with Gatorade he is probably hurting his wallet a bit and his waistline a bit. But he is probably doing all he needs to do for hydration. If he used Coke, Diet Coke (we can have the caffeine discussion now, I guess), fruit juice, lemonade, etc., he would still probably be doing all he needs to do to properly hydrate for diving. None of them would be an improvement over water, though. If you are going to use Gatorade (or similar), diluting it would make it a better choice.

And, back to the thread topic, if there is no practical difference between Diet Coke and water for divers, there is definitely no practical difference between distilled water and mineral water.

 

[Quero]

I really can't understand that hostility that sometimes is generated by a post that is essentially harmless. Was someone an unsuccessful athlete or bullied by athletes and so finds it necessary to be try to bash anything and everything about the world of athletics or what?

Huh? I don't see any of that in this thread. Honestly. This reaction is completely surprising to me. Just because a person doesn't like "sports" drinks or just because she questions whether there's a real need for such drinks while engaging in scuba diving doesn't mean she is displaying "hostility" towards athletes, was "bullied by athletes", is prone "to bash anything and everything in the world of athletics". Wow.

 

[lowviz]

I think that Dan—and all the people who have been perma-banned for saying nice things about him—would appreciate the aura of conspiracy.

Indeed. I also think that your Singapore sensitivities are showing.

SB is a friendlier, narrower, and more controlled environment with his passing. To some this is very good, to others maybe not so good.