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I'd love some enlightment on this. I'm majorly bloated and 'd love to know how it happens. Do our muscles retain water or is it our skin, and why? Thanks
Water Retention: How Does it Occur???
- Thread starter Casablanca
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If you feel bloated then it's from extracellular water. This could be from several different causes such as too much sodium/not enough fluid intake, stress or other hormonal imbalances which cause your kidneys to retain electolytes and fluids. Most of this fluid will be in the blood volume or interstitial spaces since the inside of your cells keeps a very tight regulation on the electrolytes it allows in.
Casablanca
New member
Thanks MS! in my wildest deams I wouldn't have expected such a quick response, and from you!!! 
Kid Dynamite
New member
Yes, drinking alot of water will help flush out the sodium.
If I have too much sodium and want to get rid of the fluid fast, I double my water intake AND drop my carbs. It usually takes no more than 24 hours for me to feel and look better using this method. Of course, for the first 12 hours it gets worse since I keep dumping more fluid in while my kidneys are still thinking "retain that stuff 'cause ya might not get any more'. Once I start peeing regularly I know things are improving!
Lumberg
New member
So sodium hepls you retain water, right?
Say you were about to do some heavy training. Let's say running a marathon or playing a football game in 90 degree weather. Would the athlete who ate a very salty meal with high carbs the night before, or even just a few hours before perform better than his identical twin who just drank a shitload of water???
How about a powerlifter under the same scenario??
Just wondering.
JC
Say you were about to do some heavy training. Let's say running a marathon or playing a football game in 90 degree weather. Would the athlete who ate a very salty meal with high carbs the night before, or even just a few hours before perform better than his identical twin who just drank a shitload of water???
How about a powerlifter under the same scenario??
Just wondering.
JC
Casablanca
New member
How much weight can one put just from retaining water? does 10 pound sound right? how does it look like on love handles, in other words, if you use calipers to measure the extra "flesh" put on, how can you tell that it is water and not fat?
S
Spartacus
Guest
a pint of water weighs about a pound..when I run during ~94degree heat for 3-4 miles I'll lose about 4 pounds...figure I expire and sweat about 4 pints during this
drveejay11
New member
joncrane said:
Hmmmmm......?
" Would the athlete who ate a very salty meal with high carbs the night before, or even just a few hours before perform better than his identical twin who just drank a shitload of water"
Not necessarily. Optimum performance requires the right electrolytes in the right proportions. Potassium, calcium, magnesium are all just as important as sodium in the long run, and you really need enough of all of them (but not excess) in the proper balance.
The carb aspect is also controversial. An endurance athlete will ultimately be running on fat-derived energy towards the end of an event. So no matter how good the "carb loading" has been, an endurance athlete's ability to mobilize and burn fats will still be the make-or-break factor (amongst many other things).
You also have to remember that endurance athletes are in a position to consume fluids, macronutrients and electrolytes during their competition (though absorption is often impaired in these circumstances). Power athletes only get a couple of short attempts at their goal. Excess fluid retention will slow an endurance athlete down, whereas it will generally improve the strength of a power athlete. You really can't compare the two.
As for these twins...their performance would depend an aweful lot on their pre-race preparation method in terms of their training, diet and specific manipulation of fluids, macronutrients and electrolytes.
Not necessarily. Optimum performance requires the right electrolytes in the right proportions. Potassium, calcium, magnesium are all just as important as sodium in the long run, and you really need enough of all of them (but not excess) in the proper balance.
The carb aspect is also controversial. An endurance athlete will ultimately be running on fat-derived energy towards the end of an event. So no matter how good the "carb loading" has been, an endurance athlete's ability to mobilize and burn fats will still be the make-or-break factor (amongst many other things).
You also have to remember that endurance athletes are in a position to consume fluids, macronutrients and electrolytes during their competition (though absorption is often impaired in these circumstances). Power athletes only get a couple of short attempts at their goal. Excess fluid retention will slow an endurance athlete down, whereas it will generally improve the strength of a power athlete. You really can't compare the two.
As for these twins...their performance would depend an aweful lot on their pre-race preparation method in terms of their training, diet and specific manipulation of fluids, macronutrients and electrolytes.
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drveejay11
New member
nice post!
