Most helpful explanation I’ve ever seen, Andy. Is there non-technical reading available?
From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com [mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of ascpgh Sent: Monday, January 12, 2015 6:48 AM To: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com Subject: [RBW] Re: Eat Bacon Don't Bonk? Potassium and sodium are both culprits for cramps because of their necessary relationship. They are the key electrolytes in our bodies making them able to produce charges across membranes. Potassium is primarily found inside cells, Sodium outside cells, your kidneys are responsible for the maintenance of levels of both by way of their excretions from circulatory volume in the proximal tubule and reabsorption in the distal tubule of the nephron functional unit. Both electrolytes will deplete with urine output (or sweat), sodium more so since it is in solution in fluid volumes more likely to be removed by the kidney function. One mnemonic is "water follows Sodium". Potassium depletion takes a bit longer as it is a function of the less than perfect reabsorption from the volume of fluid waste removed in the first part of the kidney's function. Proper functions of the electrolyte balance, for all its functions, is equilibrium of Sodium Na-, and Potassium K+ electrolytes. Depletion of Potassium, hypokalemia, can produce muscle tremors, weakness, fatigue, constipation and cardiac arrhythmia at the far end. Muscles become ineffectual. Depletion of Sodium, hyponatremia, can be muscle spasm, cramps, confusion dizziness, headache, restlessness and other neurological complications at the far end of the spectrum of loss. The less of Sodium in excreted fluid volumes, urine or sweat is much more likely the source of muscle cramping or spasming. Returning Sodium to normal levels is much easier with oral intake, remembering that if you do so too fast and make yourself vomit it is worse than having to start over again, you've ejected critical electrolytes and the acid engine for producing electrolytes from your intake. Gastric juices use their pH to do that and must be conserved. Potassium depletion comes from foods and drink containing it. Potassium repletion in clinical environments are done slowly under cardiac monitoring because of the potential disruptiveness of a Potassium level shift. Under exertion you lose fluid through indiscernible losses like exhaled breath (conserved by the mucous tissues reabsorption in the turbinate structures of your sinuses if you nose breath like Deacon Patrick) which depollute fluid levels and concentrate electrolytes which sweat and kidney excretion will try to overcome. The kidneys will reabsorb Potassium from the urine before it is collected in the bladder. Sodium soon is the one lost in greater volume. Training makes the body more efficient in muscle effort, work produced without excess sweating and simple conditioning to the point of tolerating and compensating in function for that path of depletion help. Sometimes you're just a sweat hog. Without biometric testing while on the bike it is tough to nail exactly the process of your spasms or cramps other than to relate it more to Sodium than Potassium although it is correct to include Potassium as a part of the problem, mostly for better resisting the exercise depletion path and seeming to concentrate against remaining Sodium. Bacon is salty; it will help. V-8 juice is salty and helps too. Hope that is insightful, the unabridged chapter on electrolyte balance is vast. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh On Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 5:08:14 PM UTC-5, dougP wrote: Check your electrolyte supplements. What you're looking for is potassium. Loss of fluids reduces potassium levels which can cause cramps & similar muscle problems. Potassium is also essential for correct heart function. For some people, simple salt supplements work well enough, and V-8 juice and bananas are easy to find on the road. I even have one friend who deals with leg cramps using plain old salt packets from fast food restaurants. Cramping by itself is bad enough but it's a warning sign that you're running low on potassium. dougP On Saturday, January 10, 2015 at 4:10:20 PM UTC-8, Tim wrote: I struggle with cramps on brevets, no matter what I'm eating. I think it is electrolyte related. Electrolyte tablets help but as heavily as I sweat, I need to take in quite a bit of sodium to keep up. At least, I think that's the case. Patrick, you mean you don't eat the entire day, unless it's a multi day ride, or you don't eat during the 10-12 hours you are riding? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com<mailto:rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com>. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **************************************************** This email (and any attachments thereto) is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this email (and any attachments thereto) is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error please immediately notify me at (212) 735-3000 and permanently delete the original email (and any copy of any email) and any printout thereof. Further information about the firm, a list of the Partners and their professional qualifications will be provided upon request. **************************************************** ============================================================================== -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
