Originally Posted by
MrArrow
To improve TODAY you needed to over-hydrate (not too much or else you will have sodium/potassium issues) for three days. The reason I say "Over-Hydrate" is that if you are hydrating properly you will feel like you are going to burst. The general rule of thumb is after experiencing dehydration you drink until you urinate clear two times. Then resume tracked hydration. I use "shaker bottles" labled with oz/ml on the side. Some people use gallon jugs. Just stay consistent.
Just as important as hydrating is being able to use that water. You require sodium. A lot of things are low sodium now but if you are an endurance athlete you need the extra sodium. When I was at MCRD Parris Island we put extra salt on EVERYTHING. We drank normal gatorade not the low sodium junk. You have to replenish your electrolytes.
Balanced and measured intake days or weeks in advance is what you are going for. They say the way you hydrate 2-3 days in advance determines your output of that day. So be consistent with your water intake.
Also see your physician. I was seriously injured so badly it brought my dreams to a screeching halt. Rhabdo, low sodium, low potassium, dehydration and other factors all can cause life-threatening complications. My protein levels were so high in my blood stream that it indicated my kidneys were shutting down. If you are riding century rides, iron mans, triathelons, running marathons ect you NEED to see a doctor regularly.
At 27 years old I lost my opportunity to be a Marine, and nearly lost more than that. Months later here I am starting over and rehabilitating my body to get back to where I was just a few short months ago.
Actually a moderate sodium diet has been shown to be best for endurance athletes. Most Americans get far too much sodium in their daily diet. I eat a natural foods diet and have to work at it to get ~1500 mg/day. My hot weather performance is very good. I seem to lose less salt than those who eat a higher sodium diet. The idea that more salt is better is current bro-science, but the real science behind moderate salt intake seems sound. See:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554439/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0413161306.htm
https://www.hammernutrition.com/know...rmance-health/
74 y.o. still hard at it, 11 hour rides over mountain passes no problem. Did 250 mile 18 hour mountain rides in my 60s, multi-hour pass climbs in 100+, probably still could but been there, done that. Looking forward to my annual 10-day unsupported (of course) backpack in the Cascades with my wife in a couple weeks.
No excuse for your getting rhabdo. The military does not do everything right, in spite of what comes down the chain of command. We thought we proved that to everyone's satisfaction in the 60s and 70s. Someone should have gotten at least a reprimand.
Neither overhydrating nor overdoing the electrolytes is a good idea. One should eat a moderate-salt diet, much less salt than the average American diet, and take only enough electrolytes to produce continuous mild thirst during exercise, no more.