Dehydration from soda

Hi all,

I spend lots of time outdoors and also dance for fun and the occasional performance. As a result, I have to watch for dehydration.
I know alcohol is bad to drink when you are thirsty as it simply increase the level of dehydration. But I have also been told that soda is bad as well. Since I drink soda in lieu of alcohol I was wondering if someone could confirm/deny this and explain the mechanism behind it (if true). Occasionally, I’ll drink a Sobe or other ‘herbal drink’ but the ingredients reveal this to be not too far removed from soda so my concerns still remain.

What’s the best drink to drink when you’re dehydrated ?
(contrary to some, I have found that straight water doesn’t always do the trick, )

Chris

Caffeine (present in many sparkling soft drinks) has a diuretic effect.

If you’re severely and dangerously dehydrated, the best thing is water with electrolyte salts and maybe a tiny bit of glucose dissolved.

If not (if you’re just very thirsty), then drinking plain water and eating something that contains a bit of salt and maybe some sugar (maybe a few pretzels?) ought to work OK.

e.g., Gatorade

Found this here: http://www.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm

Caffeine is known medically as trimethylxanthine, and the chemical formula is C8H10N4O2. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that tastes very bitter. The chief source of pure caffeine is the process of decaffeinating coffee and tea.

Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a mild diuretic (it increases urine production). Recreationally, it is used to provide a “boost of energy” or a feeling of heightened alertness. It’s often used to stay awake longer - college students and drivers use it to stay awake late into the night. Many people feel as though they “cannot function” in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine and heroin use to stimulate the brain. On a spectrum, caffeine’s effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you cannot function without it and must consume it every day, then you are addicted to caffeine.

And here: http://www.water.com/your_health_news/hs_gh_art002_p01.asp

Proper hydration is critical during heat waves when loss of water due to extreme heat and humidity can be potentially life-threatening. Water has an essential role in maintaining health. These facts summarize how the heat affects the body.

Heat and the Body:

Extreme heat and humidity rob the body of water through perspiration and respiration, resulting in the following:
The body’s natural balance is disrupted, since water is responsible for dispersing nutrients throughout the body while expelling toxins.

The body loses its natural energy, causing fatigue and sluggishness.

The body loses vital electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chlorides. These electrolytes are critical to your body.

On a normal day, the body loses about two quarts of water. Doctors and nutritionists recommend that a person drink between one-half and two-thirds of an ounce of water daily for every pound of body weight. The more active you are, the closer to the two-thirds of an ounce you need. This means about 9 to 10 eight-ounce servings of water per day for an active person.

During heat waves, people experience more water loss.You should drink at least one additional quart of water per day to compensate for this loss.

Everyone spending time outdoors should drink water—before, during and after sun exposure.


So basically, the reason that I believe that so many people are tired all the time is that they just don’t drink enough water. Also, IIRC, if you pee clear, you good to go, if it’s yellow you need to drink more water.

1/2 litre of water, 3 teaspooons sugar, pinch of salt. that should do it.

alternitively, lucozade is good.

Gatorade is sugar water (and a little salt). If you want electrolytes go for pedalyte or the generic brand - much less sugar and much more electrolytes. Also a new brand of 0 carb sports drink is comming out but havn’t tried it yet ‘Champian Lyte’.

but water is you best way to got probably 90-99.9% of the time.

The sugar will cause some of the dehydration in soda too as it requires water to store and transport sugar. IIRC glycogen stores something like 20 times it’s weight in water. So if you are replenshing your glycogen levels you are removing water from the blood to store it.

I stand corrected.

Even with the caffeine, though, caffeinated beverages are still better than nothing. The same is true for alcoholic beverages, unless they’re very strong.

In other words, it’s possible to stay fully hydrated drinking nothing but Irish coffee, it’d just take a lot more than if you were drinking water.

actually thinking about it some more I seem to recall something more like 200 times or even 2000x. I don’t really remember but storing gyclogen requires lots of water.

**Chronos ** You won’t die of dehydration drinking noting but coke or Irish coffee but your body will be opperating with less then optimal water levels.