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This simple lesson was taught to us day one in boot camp when I was in the army, and reiterated constantly over the years. We were required to take our salt pa
by PKop 9y ago
This simple lesson was taught to us day one in boot camp when I was in the army, and reiterated constantly over the years.
We were required to take our salt packet out of our MRE's and eat the entire contents. The amount of water consumed (and flushed out through perspiration) throughout the day would have severely dehydrated anyone who didn't consume adequate (high) levels of salt.
- mistermann 9y agoI drink tons of water and I get lots of cramps, presumably from electrolyte shortage. Is there any way of knowing what the right amount of salt is to be consuming?
- sz4kerto 9y agoDrink isotonic fluids (one of the best: alcohol-free beer).
- lostlogin 9y agoBut the very best is beer. Garage Project Garagista more specifically.
- godmodus 9y agobasic osmosis - water washes out the body's minerals. esp. tap water. add a bit of salt to your tap water - it helps to retain water and doesn't flush out your deposits. too much water and too much salt are both bad! had a dude in my village die after drinking around 5 liters on a dare - nervous system failure. it was so severe that he couldn't be saved.
- mtreis86 9y agoRule of tongue - if it tastes salty its too much salt. Take a half full water bottle. Add some salt. See if it is salty yet, then keep adding until it is just barely salty. Then fill the bottle to the top. If you taste salt you added too much. Note that with kcl, you start with less water, more like a quarter of the bottle, because the salty flavor is much weaker.
- mistermann 9y agoThis is with every bottle you drink? So basically once I figure out the amount, I should put that much in every time I get a fresh glass?
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoHey. If you're drinking lots of water and getting lots of cramps, don't ask people on the internets. Ask a physician, right? If there's something wrong with your kidneys, say, you won't make it better until you figure out what it is.
- mistermann 9y agoVery often people on the internet have more expertise in things than a physician. Also, physicians are often overkill for minor problems, the system would be overloaded if we went to them for every little thing.
- mtreis86 9y agoNo, this is only when I am going to exercise for an extended period of time, 30min+. I generally consume enough potassium from fruits and vegetables not to need any additional electrolytes in my day-to-day water. Basically I don't consume sugar or alt-sugars so I make my own version of gatorade.
- PKop 9y agoFirst of course do some research on your own don't want to give wrong advice, but generally I would say: Start by making sure you're eating enough. Adequate salt quantity starts by getting it from your food and getting enough to eat. Second just (slowly) add small amounts to your food and see if that addresses the problem. If you're exercising or doing physical activities and sweating a lot while also drinking a lot of water, you likely need to add some salt to food. As others have said, it should not be such an amount that tastes overly salty. Start really small.
- tajen 9y agoSame: As a backpacker I worked in Kununurra, north of Australia, pruning 500 sandalwood trees a day. With 42•C, we drank 9 liters of water in 7hrs. Legend says a guy of the previous year didn't take electrolytes and died of dehydration. We literally soaked the portable waterproof batteries with out sweat.
- ear_wars 9y agoI did not expect to read my about my home town on a comment here... I have plenty of experience picking mangos on a family farm there and I can also say we drink insane amounts of water and sweat it all out. You can squeeze your clothes and watch the sweat pour out. After the work day I'd always have an insane craving for a Bundaberg ginger beer. Maybe I'd be getting electrolytes from that?