I’ve noticed that after a longer workout (2 hour bike + 1 hour run for example) that I will have a pee excessively for the next few hours or more. I’m not taking in an excessive amount of water by any means. Is this a sign of sodium too low in my fuel/hydration? Or too high and then it’s wearing off? This doesn’t start happening until I’m done training. What would be making my body hold so much water and then want to suddenly dump it later? To the point where I think I’m actually getting dehydrated later in the day?
Not a dr. Not even close…
Could it be that your saddle is irritating your prostate?
If it gets inflamed you will feel the need to urinate frequently.
I think definitely no on that one. I have no or normal urge to pee on the bike, going for maybe 1.5 to 2 hours between needing to pee. Then I run. Then much later, I have to pee frequently and lots of volume to get rid of all the excess water either I’m carrying or that my body thinks I was carrying.
Why do you say you aren’t taking in an excessive amount of water, when that’s the obvious first answer?
Do you weigh before and after?
I’m not a doctor either, but my limited understanding of sodium based water retention is that it takes days for the kidney to equalize thing out from such episodes.
I usually take in a lot more than I was. I was actually going much lighter on fluids lately. And if I was taking in too much, wouldn’t I have needed to pee much earlier than only after three hours of training? It just seems very odd that I had no urge to pee for so long, and then needing to pee so much far later in the day. It’s like my body was acting slightly dehydrated until I was done exercising, then acting overhydrated about an hour after I finished.
What I’m getting at is there something with sodium balance where the sodium I was taking in was making me hold the water and then when I quit, the balance eventually level out and then the body had a lot of water it didn’t want to hold any more?
I usually take in a lot more than I was. I was actually going much lighter on fluids lately. And if I was taking in too much, wouldn’t I have needed to pee much earlier than only after three hours of training? It just seems very odd that I had no urge to pee for so long, and then needing to pee so much far later in the day. It’s like my body was acting slightly dehydrated until I was done exercising, then acting overhydrated about an hour after I finished.
What I’m getting at is there something with sodium balance where the sodium I was taking in was making me hold the water and then when I quit, the balance eventually level out and then the body had a lot of water it didn’t want to hold any more?quote]
Maybe a doc will chime in…I’ve discussed a similar type of phenomenon with my dad, who is a doctor though. The context was retaining fluid following travel while consuming excessively salty food, etc and coming home several pounds UP. In that context, the explanation was that your kidneys will work to remove the excess sodium, and the associated fluid. But, that takes time…on the order of days…before you return to normal balance.
Even if what you are positing were true…where would the excess sodium be coming from? Your training fluids? if your hypothesis were true, then you should be able to switch to plain water, and the effect would go away. Ie, you’d have to pee on the bike.
Right. And the crazy thing is that I have to pee so much later in the day, that I get an evening headache and then my pee is unusually dark the next morning - classic dehydration symptoms… not overhydration. Something is triggering a lot of peeing later in the day, seemingly too much, like some kind of weird sodium/kidney rebound effect. And it’s not a needing to pee a little, often, like an irritation issue. It’s plenty of volume every time.
That totally happens to me. It is not a problem unless you are going out with the family after a long workout and then it becomes a pain or embarrassing to have to go every 30 minutes.
Have not figured it out yet.
That totally happens to me. It is not a problem unless you are going out with the family after a long workout and then it becomes a pain or embarrassing to have to go every 30 minutes.
Have not figured it out yet.
Thanks for helping me think I’m not crazy. And that describes it perfectly - Having to pee a LOT about every 30 minutes, maybe three or four times before the body says “I’m done now.” Weird.
That totally happens to me. It is not a problem unless you are going out with the family after a long workout and then it becomes a pain or embarrassing to have to go every 30 minutes.
Have not figured it out yet.
Thanks for helping me think I’m not crazy. And that describes it perfectly - Having to pee a LOT about every 30 minutes, maybe three or four times before the body says “I’m done now.” Weird.
Can you tell if you emptying your bladder completely?
I always have to pee when I finish a workout. Some sort of programmed reflex though. Not always a lot, even when I am dehydrated, I’ll have to pee a little within 5 minutes of finishing the workout.
So not much help… I do find it’ll flow through quickly though, as I drink water, I’ll have to go again pretty quick, and it is back to being pretty clear, even though I KNOW I’m not rehydrated yet.
Might be worth checking your blood sugar level before, during, immediately after and at regular periods after your next long workout as excessive urination is an indicator for diabetes but equally maybe because of your low carb regime your body is dumping water to increase your blood sugar concentration? If it’s not that could be a hormonal thing. Is your blood pressure normally okay? I had to have tests because of increased blood pressure, kidney function etc. At least you can check these things yourself at home to rule out anything you might want to seek medical advice for.
OMFG.
There is nothing wrong with you.
You have 37 trillion cells in your body each with upwards of a trillion molecules each for a total of 37 trillion trillion molecules. Of these, 60% are water. Despite these massive MASSIVE numbers, your body, ALL BY ITSELF knows how to take regulate.
This is called homeostasis.
If you have to go to the bathroom, go pee. If you’re thirsty, drink. Your body knows what to do.
OMFG.
There is nothing wrong with you.
… Despite these massive MASSIVE numbers, your body, ALL BY ITSELF knows how to take regulate.
This is called homeostasis.
… Your body knows what to do.
True but quirky nutrition ideas can make the body work harder to achieve homeostasis than it needs to.
There are a handful of things that contribute to this:
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Depending on the intensity and duration, your kidneys generally tend to reduce output during exercise (a natural mechanism when your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is boosted).
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You are drinking too much, either during and/or after exercise. Too much too fast after exercise contributes to this too.
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Electrolytes could play a role (EDIT: which help you store water), but it is likely still too much liquid that counters any electrolyte consumption you may have done in the first place. Too much drinking clears the recently consumed electrolytes from the system, preventing effective rehydration.
You are fine, but you are likely not holding water, rather you are processing water that you cannot store in the first place.
When you finish exercise, generally your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) takes over and kidney output can increase, and you begin recovery.
Weigh yourself before and after exercise.
Slow your roll: Don’t chug when you finish, you’re not sweating anymore! You’re better off getting the right amount per hour than trying to catch up with hydration ASAP. Drink no more than 32 ounces per hour immediately afterward as needed, you cant effectively absorb much more than that. HOWEVER, you are much better off with 16-20 ounces an hour plus food (post workout) with proper amounts of electrolytes until you are at at most a pound or so over your starting weight. EDIT: This assumes you hydrated correctly during exercise (within a pound and change of starting weight).
Otherwise you risk washing any electrolytes you recently consumed right out without allowing it to be stored, not to mention already stored electrolytes (hyponatremia, hypokalemia), giving you that dehydrated feeling even though you’ve been drinking!
Food and protein shakes have water in them, so don’t assume your losses must be replaced with just water.
EDIT: once you have gotten closer hydration wise, you can start tweaking your electrolyte intake IF NEEDED to dial in training, racing and, recovery even more.
Cheers.
Thanks ironmat, that makes way more sense. I’ll give all that a try.