Heat stroke isn't cool...

[Bird]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Yep, those sports drinks are funny things. The first time I tasted Gatorade, I didn't like it. And I still wouldn't give you a nickel for the taste of that stuff when I'm in the air-conditioned house or during cool weather. But when I'm working outside in the heat, some days I drink a gallon of it, and enjoy every drop. And when the grandkids come to visit, they drink it all up; all day no matter what they're doing. They'll drink the Gatorade instead of the Cokes and 7-Up that's in the same refrigerator.

Bird

 

[MarkV]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Mark,

Sure am glad to see you back with us! When I was a bunch younger, I was a distance runner in college and had a go with heat stroke one year. This was before the sport drinks of today and we used water and salt tabs. They are just not enough when you are one of those people who isn't going to stop if everyone else is still going. Thirty years later I can remember every moment of that experience. I still spend to much time in our southern heat as a contractor although I sure watch for the signs these days.

I'm sure Mark will agree, use lots of sports drinks and if you ever find yourself getting cramps at night or sweating less during the day, get to the doctor. Heat stroke hurts and takes a long time to bounce back from.

MarkV

 

[richh]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Any time your health gos to hell its just no fun at all! I had broke my leg in 97 had a plate and screws put in it to hold the bones. 30 days latter had blood clots go in to my lungs, all most killed me was in ICU for a week, no fun at all. Sure glad your ok/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif We gota have some one around here to find all this cool stuf we can put on or tractors/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Rich

 

[JimBinMI]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

MarkC,

Though I'm really busy right now, finished 2nd day of school today, I definitely noticed your absence...was about to start a topic on it! Really glad you're back on track now and on the road to recovery! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[MChalkley]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Thanks for all the supportive comments, guys!

Question for the brain trust: Does anyone know of a "sports drink" mix that isn't so high in carbohydrates/sugar? I'd love to find something that contains the electrolytes (sodium, potasium, magnesium) but with fewer calories. Obviously, I need to drink larger quantities of fluids in hot weather, but if half of the liquid I drank during the days I got heat stroke had been a typical sports drink, I'd have consumed almost 2,000 calories, just from that stuff! So, I'm looking for something with the electrolytes, but fewer calories, and I'd be grateful if anyone could steer me in the right direction.

Mark

 

[scruffy]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Mark, that sounds like a great idea! A sugarless sports drink. I'm diabetic, so I haven't really looked at the sports drinks in the last 4 or 5 years, but if something like that is out there, it may be located in the 'sugarless' diabetic section of your supermarket. Don't blink though, because such areas are rather small and you might miss it!

 

[TomG]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

There are some products that are packets of powder. The powder is just electrolyte salts and is intended to treat severe dysentery (not as severe as cholera, which requires IV treatment). My X carried some of packets when travelling for international development field visits. I don't know where she got the product.

Incidentally, my present wife commented that the nutritionists and physiologists teaching in her recent course work all said that sports drinks with sugar in them should be avoided. They advocated just plain water, but then they probably weren't thinking in terms of somebody who worked under the conditions that you did.

 

[Bird]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

I guess you can forget the Powerade then. I bought some of the blue stuff (Mountain Blast) in bottles, then my wife started buying the powdered stuff and mixing it up for me, but it says it has 70 calories per serving (8 oz. glass); sugars 15g.

Bird

 

[Rch]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

An electrolytic replenishment fluid such as Pedialyte can easily be made. The key ingredient is Morton's Lyte Salt, a 50-50 mix of KCl and NaCl, mixed with Karo syrup[dextrose/glucose] and sodium bicarbonate with H2O.One specific formula per liter is one teaspoon Morton's Lite Salt, 1/2 teaspoon NaHCO3 and 6 teaspoons of Karo syrup. People with less than perfect kidneys [kidneys get rid of excess potassium] or on certain drugs,usually for high blood pressure or congestive heart failure, such as 'ace inhibitors'[type 1 or 2] such as captopril(Capoten),Vasotec,Diovan or if already on KCl supplement should consult their physician.Ace inhibitors inherently cause the kidneys to save potassium and are often combined with diuretics that excrete K and Na in the urine so that the net effect is a wash and ,therefore,a potassium suppelment is not needed assuming the kidney function is good or, at least stable. Lemonade spiked with just a teaspoon of Morton's Lite Salt per liter supplies enough of the essential K & Na.People already on a diuretic such as hydrochlorthiazide or furosemide[Lasix] are dehydrated by definition and sweating and heavy work [each exhaled breath is 100% saturated and can add-up to several liters of fluid loss when the respiratory rate increases.] When you add in the loss from sweat, urine, stool to the above "insensible" loss this can add up to several liters a day. One good rule is to drink enough fluid so you have pale urine with some K and Na as dicuussed above. Assuming you have good kidneys and certain drugs as described are taken in consideration the kidneys can deal with excess free water[ i.e. water with a little less osmolarity than 0.9%[normal saline] by excreting the extra water and retainig the appropiate electrolytes so that you don't become overly diluted,nor concentratd with a proper total volume.

RCH

 

[MarkV]

Re: Heat stroke isn\'t cool...

Dr. Rch,

Thanks for all the pro info. If calorie intake is not an issue, what are your feelings about sports drinks? Do you think they offer what is needed for us who have high exertion work situations in hot humid conditions?