Electrolyte drinks

[junglesmacks]

I know from my own personal experience both on and off playa with water vs electrolyte supplementation (Gatorade excluded as yeah.. the stuff is pure sugary syrupy crap) that in an exertion or high heat environment, my body craves less water when supplemented with electrolytes, and I physically feel better and more hydrated with more energy. I don't crave more water every 10 minutes and I feel energized rather than sapped. Listen to your body.

[some seeing eye]

Hi Canoe,
You can get into a playa condition of not enough hydration or not enough electrolytes or both. For most people it's both. In my case it was low electrolytes only.
If you are out working on the playa, in the sun, you are sweating out electrolytes, and you are at altitude. Not exactly a marathon, but not as different than some might think.
Since medical doesn't have an on playa blood chemistry lab, it's easy to treat for both and observe vital signs. From what you say, sounds like whether or not to do that is the root of that doc's philosophy, but it wasn't the philosophy of mine.
They gave me a choice of a Gatoraide-like drink or an IV. I chose Gatoraide and drank about 60 oz over about an hour and a half and was fine.
I loose my appetite on playa, so getting electrolytes from food are reduced, but that's where we get them in the normal world.
Personally I like to spread electrolytes out throughout the day, because they are excreted in urine and sweat throughout the day, so I'm not a follower of one emergen-c a day as the only source philosophy.

[Canoe]

So, if I understand this correctly, what I should be taking away from this is:
* with typical on-playa reduced food intake, we're not getting our usual amount of electrolyte intake
* depending on what we're doing, various individuals will be expending their usual or a greater amount of electrolyte
* given the first two, most people will be at reduced levels of electrolytes
* the electrolyte drinks typically available do not have dangerous levels of electrolytes (various products in thread) and excess is excreted, so since you're going to be drinking something with water to stay hydrated anyway, make it a regular electrolyte boost too - so you stay healthy (avoid Playa Condition) and have the most energy/comfort available with which to enjoy/participate

Correct?
Best Practice?

and
* Gatorade, as sugar water, is a poor electrolyte boost (I'm old enough to remember it when it wasn't sugar water - miss it, tasted better too, quenched thirst, but I guess since sugar water doesn't they sell more of it)

[some seeing eye]

Great summary, Canoe. I think every 2nd, 3rd, 4th drink could be electrolyte, especially in the sweaty daytime. But as you note, you are not going to create a problem by drinking exclusively mild electrolyte drinks. Enjoy!

[BBadger]

* Gatorade, as sugar water, is a poor electrolyte boost (I'm old enough to remember it when it wasn't sugar water - miss it, tasted better too, quenched thirst, but I guess since sugar water doesn't they sell more of it)

What I don't like about Gatorade is exactly this: it's mostly just a fructose drink with little else, even the electrolytes that made it a famous as a sports drink when it was first introduced. It's terrible for your teeth too. In that respect I'd just rather drink more water, and have some spam or something with salt in it for breakfast. If you're drinking it as a "mild electrolyte drink" it still seems pointless, because it is so mild that it might as well be water, and I could just drink some V8 or orange juice, both of which will provide more electrolytes and are better for me in an environment with few vegis.

Don't get me wrong. We bring a case of Gatorade along with us and I drink it along with the water, but that's more to just have something flavored to drink besides beer, and some mild hydration/electrolytes, but mostly the former. This year will be more water though, since we'll be having our normal sodium-laden breakfasts/lunch including spam, bacon, ramen, etc.

[Canoe]

... have some spam or something with salt in it for breakfast...

For a treat, I bought some name-brand Spam to feed friend's kids while camping. "Cat food! You're trying to feed us Cat Food!!!"

I guess I should have expected it. Dandelion greens picked fresh from the backyard became, proudly, "He fed us weeds!"

[knowmad]

the key Elecrtolite you need out there is Potasium.
Coconut water. 10-15% RDA
Even takes the dumb out of hangovers.

[Hondovious]

Vitalyte + Zip Fizz ftvtw!

for the very tasty win

[BBadger]

the key Elecrtolite you need out there is Potasium.
Coconut water. 10-15% RDA
Even takes the dumb out of hangovers.

And if you don't like coconut juice, grab some orange juice. The lots-of-pulp stuff I get (which is the one true way for those who don't know) has around that much potassium in each glass. No idea about that strained shit.

Like Gatorade, make sure to rinse your mouth out with water after drinking it. All that citric acid and fructose is terrible on the teeth.

[headquarters]

the key Elecrtolite you need out there is Potasium.
Coconut water. 10-15% RDA
Even takes the dumb out of hangovers.

And if you don't like coconut juice, grab some orange juice. The lots-of-pulp stuff I get (which is the one true way for those who don't know) has around that much potassium in each glass. No idea about that strained shit.

Like Gatorade, make sure to rinse your mouth out with water after drinking it. All that citric acid and fructose is terrible on the teeth.

Do you pack those quarts of OJ you get in the refrigerator section of the supermarket? Little pints? I presume all OJ has to stay cold.

[BBadger]

Do you pack those quarts of OJ you get in the refrigerator section of the supermarket? Little pints? I presume all OJ has to stay cold.

Well it's like anything that needs refrigeration, you just put more ice on it. Quart-sized bottles are nice so that they can be finished within a day or two without exposing an entire gallon to the air. Plus the orange juice seems to get drunken quickly once it is opened. Good for screwdrivers too.

Another thing to drink if you want good potassium and other minerals is V8. You don't even need to refrigerate it. According to the nutritional facts on Wikipedia, it has 19% of your potassium in one can (11.5oz). That's a better source of sodium and potassium than any of the sports drinks. Drink it and then have some water for the remaining hydration.

[junglesmacks]

As I lay here in bed with a massive hangover and partial still drunkness from Sunday Funday on the boat all day, all I can dream of is a nice cold glass of Vitalyte. That, and where I'll be one week from now.


Wow.

[EB]

[amuk]

On the playa we don't need electrolytes in drinks for nutritional value unless you aren't eating. The salt in our common playa foods provides plenty of sodium and other electrolytes to fulfill our bodies nutritional needs.

The reason to have a weak electrolyte and sugar drink versus either water or a high sugar electrolyte drink (thing Gatorade) is that the molarity (ratio of solutes in the water) is optimal for absorption of water from the gut to the blood. Drinking plain water or *ade drinks are going to tend to require more time for the body to absorb the quantity of water and therefore can lead to a feeling of bloating in the stomach when gulped in a reasonable quantity...and delay rehydration.

A balanced sugar/electrolyte drink (Cerasport/Ceralyte/Vitalyte) is going to allow the water to be absorbed more quickly allowing one to drink a reasonably large quantity over a short period of time and not feel bloated...or get more water absorbed more quickly when on the verge of becoming dehydrated.

Want to be cheap about it and have a quick oral dehydration solution? Mix 6 level teaspoons sugar, 1/2 level teaspoon salt, and 1 liter water. It's not yummy, but it'll rehydrate you quickly. This is the "magic" Oral Rehydration Therapy recipe that saves lives in 3rd world countries when it comes to diseases of extremely dehydrating diseases such as cholera, which causes profuse watery diarrhea.

Here is a reference that gets more scientific about how Oral Rehydration Therapy works: http://rehydrate.org/ors/ort-how-it-works.htm The linked page references diarrhea cause of the loss of water and sodium in body plasma, however on the playa our massive loss of water and sodium is, I hope, mostly through our sweat.