Christi:
A couple of days?? I didn't think that it would help to hydrate any more than a couple of hours before the dive. How far in advance of a dive is it effective to begin hydrating?
Hydrating in advance - How far??
- Thread starter Rick Inman
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
A couple of days?? I didn't think that it would help to hydrate any more than a couple of hours before the dive. How far in advance of a dive is it effective to begin hydrating?
There's no set formula. It all depends on your physical makeup. A couple of hours isn't really enough, though. If you don't drink that much water on a regular basis (bad for you 
), your body gets accustomed to that. When you start taking on lots more water, you kick your kidneys into overtime and it takes some time for your body to equilibrate. Again, how long depends on you individually. But a couple of hours before diving will only cause you to have to pee more, so your body won't really be using the extra fluids the way it will need to while diving.
), your body gets accustomed to that. When you start taking on lots more water, you kick your kidneys into overtime and it takes some time for your body to equilibrate. Again, how long depends on you individually. But a couple of hours before diving will only cause you to have to pee more, so your body won't really be using the extra fluids the way it will need to while diving.halocline
Contributor
I know that heavy hydration for 36-48 hrs prior to hiking in higher altitudes (as opposed to just drinking a lot of water upon arrival) has really made a huge difference to me in my response to altitude changes. There's got to be a connection.
A large, sudden influx of water into your body will do very little to actually hydrate you. Most of it will simply come out very quickly. I'm no doctor, but I know from my own experiences (especially sea kayaking, where hydration is surprisingly important, and dehydration is very easy, and backpacking) and my Advanced Human Physiology class (where we spend 1/2 the semester studying hydration-related topics) that it takes much more than a few hours for a typical dehydrated American to hydrate well. Drinking a large amount of water in the span of a couple of hours will result in the majority of it simply coming out as urine.. drinking a sports drink like Gatorade will make it come out as urine more slowly, but it's just stored as increased blood volume and will come out after (or during) your dive. Hydration is a fairly slow process, there's no quick "hydrate right before your dive" answer.
The "answer" is to stay hydrated all the time anyway. It's good for you.
The "answer" is to stay hydrated all the time anyway. It's good for you.
Well said. I remember a study done many years ago, with men and dogs. A man/dog pair would go for a vigorous hike, then drink their fill of water on returning. Measurements found that the dogs rehydrated completely while the men drank on average only half the water they'd lost.jonnythan:
As a diver your should drink lots of water all the time and stay hydrated. You never know when that next phone call is "my buddy cancelled, can you be here in an hour to go diving". I got that call once, and went. Now I was a new diver and not really hydrating all the time like I do now. Bottom line, chamber ride. Was it hydration? I don't know. I do know none of the other dive factors indicated high risk for DCI. But bent I was, so I am thinking maybe my hyration was not what it should have been. That was 3 years and 170 dives ago, no problems since.
Seriously, let us look at why hydratilon is important. It has to do with blood volume or so I am told. So the body does need time to process it and put it into circulation.
Personally, I try to stay hydrated all the time. I always have a glass of water nearby and drink water usally and sodapop rarely. It use to be the other way around. I still guzzle down a 4 cup pot of coffee every morning except on dive days (hey, the cofee pot idea of 4 cups is only two of my mugs) when I skip the coffee.
Not a doctor or other informed person. I am married and I am told I haven't been right in 30 years. But then she picked me so what could she know?
Seriously, let us look at why hydratilon is important. It has to do with blood volume or so I am told. So the body does need time to process it and put it into circulation.
Personally, I try to stay hydrated all the time. I always have a glass of water nearby and drink water usally and sodapop rarely. It use to be the other way around. I still guzzle down a 4 cup pot of coffee every morning except on dive days (hey, the cofee pot idea of 4 cups is only two of my mugs) when I skip the coffee.
Not a doctor or other informed person. I am married and I am told I haven't been right in 30 years. But then she picked me so what could she know?
Dr Deco
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,384
- Reaction score
- 96
- # of dives
- I just don't log dives
Hello readers:
The hydration question appears to be one of considerable interest. Hydration is something that occurs over a period of days (at least) and can not be achieved through drinking a few hours before an event, e.g., diving, running, etc.
Hydration is more than putting water into the blood stream. Drinking water will accomplish this but excess is eliminated through urination. Tissues are not adequately hydrated, and the balance will again shift with blood volume being less than optimal. Therefore, several DAYS prior to an event is when drinking should begin. In the long term, this can be water, but is time is somewhat critical, it appears that sports drinks are better.
Dr Deco :doctor:
The hydration question appears to be one of considerable interest. Hydration is something that occurs over a period of days (at least) and can not be achieved through drinking a few hours before an event, e.g., diving, running, etc.
Hydration is more than putting water into the blood stream. Drinking water will accomplish this but excess is eliminated through urination. Tissues are not adequately hydrated, and the balance will again shift with blood volume being less than optimal. Therefore, several DAYS prior to an event is when drinking should begin. In the long term, this can be water, but is time is somewhat critical, it appears that sports drinks are better.
Dr Deco :doctor:
Dr Deco:
EXTRA...EXTRA...READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!...DOC DECO SAYS LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN!!!! :dazzler1:
Rob
Im glad to see Dr Deco backs up my repeated soap box lectures about the bennies of legit sport drinks....How many times have I had this arguement here with self proclaimed experts? Of all the "fads" the US has gone through, bottled water is hands down the healthest. Drink it up folks, you'll feel better all the time!
Similar threads
