Debunking Hydration/Dehydration - Adam Ruins Everything

eric3579says...

Healthcare Triage on dehydration


Khufusays...

This video is as bad as the sponsored studies it complains about. Adam obviously has never exerted himself a day in his life. When I'm on the 4th hour riding my bike up mountain highways, I know that if I haven't been drinking a liter of water per hour for the past 4 hours(including some form of electrolyte) I'm about to have horrendous hamstring cramps. I know because of experience trying many combinations, not Gatorade studies.

ulysses1904says...

This type of video is just as smarmy and over simplified as any marketing campaign. If you base your behavior on easily quotable "life hacks" then you will always be an idiot who is easily manipulated and exploited.

RedSkysays...

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/6/401.short

"Scientific evidence in support of the “electrolyte depletion” and “dehydration” hypotheses for the aetiology of EAMC comes mainly from anecdotal clinical observations, case series totalling 18 cases, and one small (n = 10) case–control study. Results from four prospective cohort studies do not support these hypotheses. In addition, the “electrolyte depletion” and “dehydration” hypotheses do not offer plausible pathophysiological mechanisms with supporting scientific evidence that could adequately explain the clinical presentation and management of EAMC."

Khufusaid:

This video is as bad as the sponsored studies it complains about. Adam obviously has never exerted himself a day in his life. When I'm on the 4th hour riding my bike up mountain highways, I know that if I haven't been drinking a liter of water per hour for the past 4 hours(including some form of electrolyte) I'm about to have horrendous hamstring cramps. I know because of experience trying many combinations, not Gatorade studies.

Khufusays...

Lol, are you telling me science proves humans can't get dehydrated? ugh...

I'm not worried about death from dehydration while working out, but slight dehydration (2%) is enough to dramatically impair cognitive function, performance and recovery. It's just obvious in practice.

RedSkysaid:

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/6/401.short

"Scientific evidence in support of the “electrolyte depletion” and “dehydration” hypotheses for the aetiology of EAMC comes mainly from anecdotal clinical observations, case series totalling 18 cases, and one small (n = 10) case–control study. Results from four prospective cohort studies do not support these hypotheses. In addition, the “electrolyte depletion” and “dehydration” hypotheses do not offer plausible pathophysiological mechanisms with supporting scientific evidence that could adequately explain the clinical presentation and management of EAMC."

RedSkysays...

No, the meta-study I linked is saying that there is insufficient statistical evidence to suggest dehydration leads to muscle cramps in controlled forward looking studies, contrary to anecdotal backward looking claims which are statistically less rigorous.

Khufusaid:

Lol, are you telling me science proves humans can't get dehydrated? ugh...

I'm not worried about death from dehydration while working out, but slight dehydration (2%) is enough to dramatically impair cognitive function, performance and recovery. It's just obvious in practice.

harlequinnsays...

You had to know what EAMC stands for to understand the abstract. EAMC = Exercise-associated muscle cramps.

This video does not always delineate between levels of hydration. The reality is, you are in general always "dehydrating". This is normal and has no adverse outcomes.

Clinical dehydration (what the video is really talking about) is way beyond the normal ups and downs of fluid loss while maintaining homeostasis.

Khufusaid:

Lol, are you telling me science proves humans can't get dehydrated? ugh...

I'm not worried about death from dehydration while working out, but slight dehydration (2%) is enough to dramatically impair cognitive function, performance and recovery. It's just obvious in practice.

Khufusays...

no adverse outcomes? I've pointed out several adverse outcomes of very slight dehydration. In the video they use the example of sports and say hydration isn't important. So ya, if he's referring to clinical dehydration, he's basically side-stepping the fact that that's not what anyone is worried about when hydrating for sport, it's more about the intense cramping and loss of consciousness that we don't need scientific studies to confirm. Just like I don't need a scientific study to tell me to eat when I'm hungry.

harlequinnsaid:

You had to know what EAMC stands for to understand the abstract. EAMC = Exercise-associated muscle cramps.

This video does not always delineate between levels of hydration. The reality is, you are in general always "dehydrating". This is normal and has no adverse outcomes.

Clinical dehydration (what the video is really talking about) is way beyond the normal ups and downs of fluid loss while maintaining homeostasis.

Digitalfiendsays...

So are we not supposed to preemptively hydrate when performing intense exercise in adverse conditions?

For instance, I've done 40-60 min cycling time trials (or any prolonged FTP effort really) in 30-35c+ (ambient) weather and have noticed that if I don't properly hydrate, I'll stop sweating part way through which can lead to a loss of performance. I've never noticed cramps but I can lose up to 4-6 lbs of water over a hard 2 hr ride in the heat. Since I sweat a lot when I workout, the heat doesn't bother me too much but I do need to drink more. Is it possible our brains are not tuned to quickly respond to a rapid loss of water, like during a hard cardio workout? Therefore, drinking water when you feel thirsty might only be a good recommendation when you're performing at low- to moderate-levels of exertion.

I agree that most people are likely not dehydrated but not consuming water during a hard cardio workout seems like bad advice.

harlequinnsays...

No, you've pointed out what you believe were adverse outcomes from slight dehydration. These are anecdotes. You didn't measure your level of dehydration, nor did you control for all the other factors that could have caused your issues.

If it was dehydration causing you to have muscle cramps and loss of consciousness then you probably didn't have "slight dehydration", you most likely had severe dehydration. And as someone has already pointed out, the evidence for muscle cramps caused by dehydration is slim (but that doesn't mean it's not true for you).

Studies don't take into account outliers. They look at large groups of people to generate explanations for human physiological conditions. You might be a one in a billion person and react differently to dehydration than almost everyone else.

Khufusaid:

no adverse outcomes? I've pointed out several adverse outcomes of very slight dehydration. In the video they use the example of sports and say hydration isn't important. So ya, if he's referring to clinical dehydration, he's basically side-stepping the fact that that's not what anyone is worried about when hydrating for sport, it's more about the intense cramping and loss of consciousness that we don't need scientific studies to confirm. Just like I don't need a scientific study to tell me to eat when I'm hungry.

Sagemindsays...

Wow - you are all making this more complicated than it needs to be,
If you are thirsty - then drink something.

Don't drink just because advertisements scare you into believing you need to, even when you aren't thirsty.

Khufusays...

so that time i did a 160km race in 35 degree heat with a few thousand ppl and i saw at least 100 ppl on the side of the road with severe cramps reeling in pain... all outliers?

harlequinnsaid:

No, you've pointed out what you believe were adverse outcomes from slight dehydration. These are anecdotes. You didn't measure your level of dehydration, nor did you control for all the other factors that could have caused your issues.

If it was dehydration causing you to have muscle cramps and loss of consciousness then you probably didn't have "slight dehydration", you most likely had severe dehydration. And as someone has already pointed out, the evidence for muscle cramps caused by dehydration is slim (but that doesn't mean it's not true for you).

Studies don't take into account outliers. They look at large groups of people to generate explanations for human physiological conditions. You might be a one in a billion person and react differently to dehydration than almost everyone else.

harlequinnsays...

At this point in time it is impossible to tell what caused these people to have cramping in an extreme endurance event in moderate heat.

We do know current data suggests it is unlikely to be from dehydration.

Khufusaid:

so that time i did a 160km race in 35 degree heat with a few thousand ppl and i saw at least 100 ppl on the side of the road with severe cramps reeling in pain... all outliers?

ChaosEnginesays...

First up, most people AREN'T doing 160km races in 35° heat.

Second, and here's the important point of the video, THOSE PEOPLE WERE PROBABLY THIRSTY.

No-one is saying you shouldn't drink water. As @Sagemind said, it's really simple... drink when you're thirsty.

If you're doing a prolonged cardio workout and you're not getting thirsty.... see a doctor, because there is something seriously wrong with you.

Khufusaid:

so that time i did a 160km race in 35 degree heat with a few thousand ppl and i saw at least 100 ppl on the side of the road with severe cramps reeling in pain... all outliers?

NateRAsays...

Bad premise and bad conclusion.

Your urologist will not tell you to drink eight cups of water a day. Rather, your urologist will tell you to drink enough water to *pee* eight cups (about two liters) of water a day.

Depending on what you're doing, that could be a little or a lot. And when it's a lot, the thirst mechanism doesn't always work so reliably.

Inadequate hydration over a prolonged period of hot and muggy weather led to me getting kidney stones later on. Not fun. And unless medical evidence is wrong about preventing future kidney stones, the "drink when your thirsty" strategy will not have me hydrated enough.

Sure, for the limited situation he was describing, maybe the dehydration obsession is misplaced, but this was an oversimplified topic to the point of being meaningless or even dangerous to some. Adam certainly ruined something today.

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