I go on day hikes at least once every weekend, usually more. The type of trails vary from hot, dry sandy desert to cool, steep, rocky forests. Most are moderate to difficult ratings, with a rare easy, depending on my mood. In other words, every hike is vastly different from the next in terms of temperature, terrain, difficulty, and elevation.
I always drink a lot of water before, during, and after the hike, especially on the hotter trails. These hikes usually take approximately 7 to 9 hours. During that time I never pee even though I drink tons of water. I assume I lose this water through sweat. No big mystery there.
However, on more than one occasion I have started at a trail head with a bladder already full due to the water I have started to drink preparing for the hike. The type of trail (cool, hot, shady, sunny, etc.) doesn’t seem to make a difference, but after about 30 minutes into the hike I don’t have to use the bathroom any longer.
Does the body eliminate urine through perspiration once it has made it all the way to the bladder? If so, how does that work? Have I pee’d my pants and not noticed?
Well, I’ve noticed that sometimes I have to pee badly, but I’m in the midst of doing something and after a while, the urge goes away. Maybe you’re just distracted while your’re hiking and don’t notice it any more.
Oddest thing though . . . I don’t sweat. I’ve always wondered why, and if I should be concerned that my sweat glands are malfunctioning. When I get too hot outdoors I faint if I don’t pour some water over myself or have a cold drink. But I stay as dry as toast except for a little mositure on my upper lip.
Diane I doubt you peed your pants, but it is likley that you were so distracted you did not notice you had to pee. Caution with that is that UTI (Urinary Tract Infections) can come from not urinating when you gotta. Take it from me they hurt like heck, I was 9 months pregnant when I got one that turned into a kidney infection. So my advice is to try to pee when you are hiking and drinking so much water. You may be surprised to find that you have to pee after all.
I’ve noticed the same phenomenon, but any time I’ve been active, I don’t have to go. I think it partially has to do with the muscles in the bladder relaxing when other muscles in the body are working. Since they are relaxed, they don’t press on the bladder as hard, and you don’t have to pee.
I had thought that maybe I was distracted while hiking and didn’t remember I had to pee but when I get into my car to go home I still don’t have to go. I know that the water I drink on the trail is probably sweated off, but the water already in my bladder is where I get confused.
The relaxed muscles is something I hadn’t thought of before.
It is a little strange because I pee every 15 minutes or so when I am working or hanging out at home. In fact, that is part of the reason I have to pee when I get to a trail head. I can’t drive more than 30 minutes without having to go.
As it happens, I asked my doctor about this. I used to work construction in Bakersfield, and on hot days I wouldn’t have to piss (women pee, men piss ). She said that most of the water I drank was given off through sweating (women perspire, men sweat ), and that I needed to drink more water. Not urinating is not good for your urinary tract, and not getting enough water is bad for you. If you stop sweating it’s a danger sign.
So I started drinking more water. It worked.
Peace,
mangeorge
Mangeorge - Did your doctor happen to mention whether or not the urine already in the bladder is capable of evaporating through sweat?
Another thing that is a little confusing to me. I drink anywhere between 1/2 to 1 gallon of water during the course of a hike. The amount depends on the heat. I know that I don’t sweat off that amount of liquid. Does the body absorb this water to help cool itself off without losing it through sweat?
Oh, and men drain the lizard, puppies piddle, and women tinkle.
No, no mention of urine already in the bladder. This was quite a few years ago, and I don’t remember all that she told me.
Sweat cools you by evaporation. That amount of water sounds like it should be anough, but I’d advise you to ask someone who knows more about exercise and it’s requirements. Or do a search.
Here’s one that mentions fluid intake. I’m sure there are more. http://www.fitnesszone.com/features/archives/jul98/3070698.html
Peace,
mangeorge
You cannot reabsorb any appreciable amount of water from urine stored in your bladder.
The sensation of needing to pee is primarily a function of the pressure in your bladder. The pressure in your bladder is a function of the volume of urine stored there and the tension of your bladder muscle. Your bladder muscles contract when your bladder gets full (giving you the urge to pee) but also when irritated by, for example, a urinary tract infection. Evidently when you hike, your bladder tension decreases so that you lose the urge to pee and you don’t develop the urge to pee even when your bladder fills to a level that would cause you to feel the urge to pee were you not hiking.
Of course, over the long term (such as a 7-9 hour hike), how MUCH you pee (although not how OFTEN you pee) depends on how much urine your kidneys pass into your bladder which depends on a lot of factors but mainly your need to maintain an adequate blood volume to keep up a blood pressure adequate for your activities. When you stop drinking and start hiking, you start to loose lots of water in your breath, as insensible (unnoticed) sweat, and as noticeable sweat. Soon your kidneys start to conserve water by putting out the smallest volume of the most concentrated urine they can produce.
I forget the exact numbers but I would think that you could loose up to a liter per hour in sweat during vigorous hiking. That would be up to about 2 gal in 8 hours.
Humans have no significant capacity to “store” water for future use.
). She said that most of the water I drank was given off through sweating (women perspire, men sweat 