seltzer water

[baldtaco-II]

They used to sell some filthy muck here called Lucozade. That was originally peddled at sickly people and for use in hospitals as a convalescence preparation. Then some marketing genius struck gold with the term “isotonic”. Lucozade became Lucozade Energy and was pitched at those that wanted to identify with footballers, few of which I suspect knew what isotonic meant beyond a buzz phrase. Pretty sure few suspected they were quaffing something akin to the after squitters blend Dioralyte.


Anyways, back to this Guru bloke and his claims. Does it say anywhere in the book that it has been proofread by professionals / medics. If so what are their names?

 

[go2ndAmend]

I'll go with what James61 said.

 

[Watchful]

I think the consensus here is that this seltzer claim is bunk.

Shame, too, to see that kind of sloppy thinking in a field that encourages trial by fire proof like survival.

 

[Joel Stave]

Your water or sports drink should be ingested cold. Water below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) is absorbed faster than room temperature water.

Dr Bill, could you explain the mechanism behind this? Seems to me that the water would be body temperature very soon after it hits the stomach, no matter what temperature it is as it's going down.

Thanks.

 

[franchisekid]

I always thought your body could only digest things that were body temperature which is why you should not drink cold water if you are dehydrated since it requires energy, and therefore water, to digest. Doesn't your body warm everything up to digest it and process it?

 

[James 61]

I guess I should point out that I was only trying to possible explain the "science" behind what was said in the book. I by no means am saying it actually works that way or that drinking carbonated beverages is a good idea. In fact I find soda to be an awful thing to drink because of the empty calories and high sugar content that burns off quickly.

The best advice is to stay hydrated. I read the article Dr. Bill linked and there is some great info in there. I for one prefer powered drinks so that I can adjust the water to mix ratio.

The thing to remember in a survival situation is to drink the water you have when you need to. Rationing water does no good and can make the situation worse. Other tactics is to limit the amount exertion you are doing. Waiting until the cooler parts of the day to perform vital tasks will help reduce the amount of sweating you do and this will help reduce the rate of dehydration. Many of the tricks for rapid re-hydration that have been put forth in books and television (the tube up the butt come to mind) are either junk science or have the potential to cause more harm than good unless you know what you are doing. The reality is that dehydration will occur so your goal should be to make smart choices that help reduce the rate that it occurs at. This strategy will improve your odds better than anything else. On last thing. If you are so dehydrated that rapid re-hydration is required you are need of proper medical intervention and care.