So, what exactly is "hydrated"?

[zboss]

If you don't have water in your hand and it's not going down your throat... you are dehydrated.

 

[montyb]

They were talking about coffee a while back on the radio and mentioned that if you drink 8 oz of coffee you will have an output of 20 oz of liquid. So as spectre mentioned being hydrated also has to do with what you are drinking. I have quit drinking coffee on days that I dive. Water, Juice etc.

montyb

 

[DocVikingo]

They were talking about coffee a while back on the radio and mentioned that if you drink 8 oz of coffee you will have an output of 20 oz of liquid. So as spectre mentioned being hydrated also has to do with what you are drinking. I have quit drinking coffee on days that I dive. Water, Juice etc.

montyb

What you reportedly heard on the radio is not correct. There are several published studies on this topic, but the following adduced by one of this forums former Medical Moderators, diving surgeon BillP, succinctly conveys the general facts:

"Caffeine is indeed a diuretic. It makes you pee about 1ml of fluid per mg of caffeine. Coffee has (roughly) 0.71mg of caffeine per ml. So for every 1 ml of coffee you drink, you will pee about 3/4 ml of fluid.

For an 8 oz (240ml) cup of coffee, you will pee an extra 170-180ml of fluid. So you're still 60-70ml of fluid ahead. If you drink coffee instead of water you will not be as well hydrated, and if you start off dehydrated (as many divers are on multi-day trips) you will be less likely to rehydrate effectively if you drink coffee instead of water. But if you drink coffee in addition to the water you would normally drink on a dive trip to maintain your hydration, the coffee won't dehydrate you."

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Darin]

I have also heard this about coffee...

The one that is interesting to me, and, correct me if I am wrong, but it is soda-pop. This stuff will really mess with your hydration.

When I was in my EMT training, we were told that even though pop is mostly water, the rest is sugar. The amount of water that your body is able to use after processing all of the sugar is about a teaspoon. So, you would have to drink a LOT of soda to keep hydrated.(because the body uses water to process sugars)

Also, we were told that a great majority of headaches are caused by dehydration and that 80 to 90 percent of the general population is dehydrated.

Now, these are all facts that were given to me close to 10 years ago so I can't say that they are all still true or have been disproven lately.

Darin

 

[emtdan]

I was always taught, 8oz every 8hrs. If you have a waterbottle in your hand, drink, when you are full, drink more, then drink even more.

and remember, "Always pee in your mask, spit in your wetsuit".

 

[archman]

When I was in my EMT training, we were told that even though pop is mostly water, the rest is sugar. The amount of water that your body is able to use after processing all of the sugar is about a teaspoon. So, you would have to drink a LOT of soda to keep hydrated.(because the body uses water to process sugars)
Darin

That's why we have Super Big Gulps. Those folks should be plenty hydrated!

My EMT instructor told me something similar back in the mid '90's, and I've heard the same mantra from scuba instructors, camp directors, blah blah.

Problem is, they never back up their assertions with numbers or calculations. Drives me nuts. I think they're just all repeating one another like numbskulls.

However, what I can directly assert after teaching student groups in the subtropics for years, is that there's no discernible difference in dehydration symptoms between the kids who chug water, and those that chug soda and/or fruit punch. I DO though get distinct differences with the kids that don't drink anything (or run out early).

A couple years back I stopped telling people what to drink, just so long as they drink SOMETHING.

Thanks for that figure and explanation on caffeine Doc. It's about the only hard fact I've ever heard on this.

"Caffeine is indeed a diuretic. It makes you pee about 1ml of fluid per mg of caffeine. Coffee has (roughly) 0.71mg of caffeine per ml. So for every 1 ml of coffee you drink, you will pee about 3/4 ml of fluid

 

[Dive-aholic]

I have also heard this about coffee...

The one that is interesting to me, and, correct me if I am wrong, but it is soda-pop. This stuff will really mess with your hydration.

When I was in my EMT training, we were told that even though pop is mostly water, the rest is sugar. The amount of water that your body is able to use after processing all of the sugar is about a teaspoon. So, you would have to drink a LOT of soda to keep hydrated.(because the body uses water to process sugars)

On top of all that sugar is the caffeine in the soda-pop. The best thing to do is drink water before your dives, between your dives, and after your dives. And if you are diving multiple days, drink water throughout the rest of the evening. And if you're going to kick back in the evening with some beer or marguaritas (as we've all done one time or another), drink even more water.

As far as avoiding caffeine on dive days, we don't. We'd rather increase our water intake to compensate than deal with the headaches we get from the lack of caffeine (yes, we're caffeine addicts, too). Don't think it'd be fun diving with a headache like that.

As for a formula, there isn't any. Everyone's body is different. Your diet, fluid intake, type of intake, etc, etc all play a role. Everyone also responds to physical demands differently. You'll know if you're dehydrated. And unless you have any underlying medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure or renal insufficiency (in which case you probably wouldn't be diving then), you can't drink too much water.

 

[Mel.B]

On a recent trip to the Solomon Islands we were told to drink 1L of water for every hour we were under water to help avoid dehydration in the humid conditions. I think I also read on this board somewhere that if you can't make enough spit to spit into your mask then you are dehydrated.

Mel

 

[Wildcard]

I was always taught, 8oz every 8hrs. If you have a waterbottle in your hand, drink, when you are full, drink more, then drink even more.

and remember, "Always pee in your mask, spit in your wetsuit".

That's only 24oz/per day.

Of all the silly fads this country and others goes through, the bottled water thing is by far the healthyest fad yet.

The warmer it is and the more activity your doing, the more water you need. On a hot hard working day Ive gone through three gallons and hardly peed.

 

[ICY ICE]

When I dive or go hunting: both being completely opposite activities. I know I'm hydrated when I'm pissing every hour or two and I'm pissing clear fluids. Although, vitamins and food you eat will change the color of your pee. You can see the difference between "clear pee", "dark pee" or worst "NO PEE".

I've been in the mountains up to 5 days straight and yet anyone in my group or myself been dehydrated (including my 7/9 yr old sons).

The amount of fluid you consume depends on the:
· Activities your doing
· Environment your doing the activity
· Current/Varying temperature during/after the activities

To this date I've not figured out how much water/juices/tea/coffee we must consume, but I drink and drink and then drink some more.

I limit my activities; not over exerting myself as this can increase my perspiration in turn counteracting my hydration.

Remember: Too much water/fluids wont hurt you - it's the lack of it that will