Hi all,
So I'm a pretty active & therefore sweaty guy. Have suffered long term, from headaches, possibly caused by me being constantly dehydrated.
Disregarding any other possible ailments, could anyone suggest the best form for a daily rehydration product. Like Hydralyte, Powerades, etc but in a healthiest, most beneficial form?
Thanks in advance for any relevant advice.
Water
and also food high in water content,
eg. cucumbers, celery, watermelon.
Get staminade in powdered form,
and just drink about 1/2 litre a day,
just to top up on some electrolytes.
Bananas and/or coconut water, to get some potassium for your muscles.
Get good, solid rest/sleep, every night.
Feel rested.
If you wake up tired, then look into whether you're snoring or not, ie some form of sleep apnea.
Lack of rest can also contribute towards headaches.
If you're getting headaches, do you know if they occur, when it's going to be a rainy day?
When the weather turns gloomy, air pressure is low,
and people sensitive to air pressure, can get headaches and migraines too.
( what altitude are you at - are you in the hills, mountains? )
Appreciate the detailed response.
I don't eat enough 'watery' foods so that would help if I start to no doubt. Bananas are regularly part of my diet.
Yep thanks, I have decided to increase my daily intake of a specific hydration product such as Staminade.
I shift work and have two young children. So irregular sleeping patterns and lack of rest are unfortunately for me the norm.
Have actually seen medical professionals re the headaches in the past. Tested for sleep apnea and since been custom fit for a night dental guard, now in use every night since.
Not living in any such high altitude. In Perth so pretty much living in a warm and relatively stable climate. By Australian means anyway!
I shift work and have two young children.
So irregular sleeping patterns and lack of rest are unfortunately for me the norm.
If you want to reset your body clock 'quicker',
then, you need to practice intermittent fasting,
ie. the days that your sleep is 'out of wack',
don't eat and it'll force your body to adjust.
It's hard, but it's the quick & drug-free way.
Otherwise, you can buy slow-release melatonin tablets.
Use them sparingly, ie. take them when you need to train your body
to recognise it's time-to-sleep, and then the melatonin tablet
will slow-release the chemicals to assist your body to manufacture those chemicals necessary for sleep.
A few guys from work do intermittent fasting & talk positively of it also. Will give it a go.
'I do need to cut my intake of sugar' - 'I have decided to increase my daily intake of a specific hydration product such as Staminade'
okay - have you noticed the ingredient list of Staminade ?
'Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Anti-Caking Agent (551),
Potassium Phosphate, Magnesium Lactate, Flavours, Colours (102, 133)' - https://superiorfs.com.au/documents/PDF/SDPLL_1.pdf - the first two are forms of sugar - which of those ingredients do you think is going to make you more healthy ?
wake up and smell the coffee - water is the natural answer to your question - don't buy crap from a profit-seeking business thinking it's going to improve your life !
your better life starts with paying attention to what you put in it - I'm guessing you're somewhat inattentive if you've been suffering headaches for years and still haven't worked out that you need to drink more water.
Start paying attention - 7 times to change a habit - deliberately choose to eat smaller meals - avoid snacking (##SUGAR##) between meals - your stomach will shrink gradually - you may have grehlin hunger hormone pains of OMG I'm hungry - if you overeat one day, don't beat yourself up and catastrophize - just get back on track and pay attention tomorrow again.
Your life outcome is the result of your chosen life inputs. Choose - wisely.
I would try getting something with just a standard mix of electrolytes that's unflavoured, if you want flavour just add cordial. Sweeteners will mess with your insulin and cause weight gain moreso than just having sugar so personally I'd stay away from them if you need something for the taste and just stick to sugary cordial if you need it. If you can afford it, get the Australian made stuff just so you know you're covered by Aus food safety standards, etc. otherwise get the overseas stuff.
https://sodii.com.au/
https://www.nutri-align.com/product/fasting-salts/?zero_rate…
Thank you so much for that information.
I wasn't aware of any such product.
I will definitely try the Australian made product.
Have a look at Dr Hydrate I drink this daily
When I was doing Keto I used Ultima, which I got from iHerb. The Cherry Pomegranate is my favourite, but all the flavours are good. It is on Sale at iHerb at the moment.
https://au.iherb.com/pr/ultima-replenisher-ultima-replenishe…
However, they changed the ratios of Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium a few years back, so I changed to an Aussie company called Revitalise daily.
Their flavours are also great and their customer service is excellent. Plus an Australian company.
https://revitalisedaily.com.au
I used this daily whilst travelling Indonesia over December and January, and felt great even with all of the walking we did. That was a true test for me.
Have a look at the ratios of each and base your decision on what you feel your body needs.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.
Awesome, thanks. Revitalise Daily is on the list to try.
Yes easy to get dehydrated In Bali true. I usually start sweating 10m after a shower haha so would be a good test for me also!
Hi, currently looking on the Revitalise website now. I realise all tastes are different, but are there any flavours you've tried and just wouldn't buy again, like are horrible tasting!?
I have not tried every flavour yet. Lemon and Lime is always a winner for a refreshing drink. Raspberry is also good, and Apple is in the cupboard and next on the taste list.
I see the bundles are also on sale, yippee. Looks like I’ll be putting an order in too.
I also agree with VictimEqualsProfit on the Concentrace minerals.
On iHerb in the “Try” section, they sometimes have a 30ml mini bottle at a really low price, so you can try before spending the big bucks.
Each serving is about 1ml so a good 10 days worth if you are doing 2-3 litres per day.
"Concentrace" minerals. Ain't cheap but it goes a long way because it's very concentrated.
Lots of info about what to drink, but what do you eat? This could play a big factor in the amount of water you need to consume… If you eat a lot more veggies than meats/sugars/etc you'll need less water to hydrate. If you're having a tonne of salty foods though, you'll want to reconsider your food choices along with taking in extra water.
PS, i know you said disregarding any other possible ailments, but really, go see a GP and follow their advice as well (maybe a referral, specialist, MRI/CT brain scan etc, chronic headaches can be caused by many things! Also if your shoulders/neck are always tight, referred pain headaches are a thing which I personally get often)
Tbh I hadn't really considered changing eating habits. I certainly have more meat /sugars / salty foods than veggies. I will seriously consider a change in diet but I know that will be difficult for me.
Yea thanks for the advice but I said that because I have seen specialists/ docters/ etc in the past. Have had a CT scan, been advised of carrying tension through the shoulders, teeth grinding at night, sleep apnea tests & the like. All been tested & treated for appropriately.
I just know I sweat a lot, figured rehydrating beyond plain water could be helpful, hence my post.
But thanks for the insight re the food intake, will look into changing the diet also.
Brawndo.
Its Got What Plants Crave!
Boy, have I got a thread for you;
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/708195
Agree with other comments that you don't drink enough water though.
Edit
My 2c as someone who does 3-4hr bike rides in Brisbane's heat and is also a fat dude who sweats a lot;
I take a 2L camelback (Not branded) of water on my rides, as well as a 1L bottle of water with a couple of hydration tablets dissolved in it. Then, when I get home, I have a treat in the form of Sugar Free Powerade that I buy bulk from Amazon whenever they crop up on a deal here.
On those active days, I still drink probably 3-4L of water in addition to those things.
Non active days, I'm still drinking 3+ litres a day.
YMMV.
I still drink probably 3-4L of water in addition to those things.
That's alot. How often do you visit the toilet?
Varying frequency, I guess. Urine colour dictates I am probably not over-hydrating on those days, so I figure it's no harm.
I just keep a tall glass of water next to me, then refill it whenever it's empty, just tend towards emptying it more often on workout days.
Monday just gone I didn't drink as much, and I didn't pee from 6am til like 2pm. It was concerningly yellow.
Cheers got a good DIY version of Gatorade on that thread. Yep this post has made me realise that I do need to drink more water.
Will be also trying several different ideas from others on here also.
Try water with little bit of salt in it (you don't need to add so much to the level you could taste it…). If consuming alcohol, nothing beats the hydralite tablets for me. I don't recommend other products with sugar init as it defeats the purpose of all your handwork with workouts.
Keep up & good luck!
I'm a keen indoor cyclist, training and racing on Zwift to around 1000km a month, regularly creating huge puddles of sweat on the garage floor (despite a high-powered fan blowing air). I start a race or ride with three bottles: two of water, one of powerade made up from powder. For a serious race or long ride I drink a glass or two of water beforehand, and half a glass of powerade. I take an occasional magnesium supplement beforehand to prevent muscle cramps (maybe once a week), and drink occasional water throughout the day.
The bottom line is that most of what you need is water. You do need something to restore electrolytes lost from heavy sweating, but that's secondary to water. Our natural state before modern civilisation is hunter gatherer, exercising to feed ourselves, with water and a balanced diet keeping us hydrated. Today's hydration products assist with that, but are not a replacement for water.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I do sweat a lot and my head 'overheats' during a long, outdoor walk, a round of golf, extended exercise, etc.
I've now discovered from this thread that I certainly need to drink more water. Probably even more so on mornings before any extended outdoor activity.
aidstation may be your best bet.
SIS are good products, also Pure Hydration tablets.
Musashi Electrolytes, goes on sale for $16 at chemist warehouse or $13.50 at woolworths sometimes.
Wasn't too long ago that the 'On-Sale' price @ CH was $8ish every few weeks…. It was $9 or so last week but I can see that they now price-gouged increased the price back to $21.99
I will look out for this product to try once I find on sale, thanks.
Prime is terrible for hydration. Here is a simple vid explaining why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PESB9Q-Q7N8
Prime hydration is probably the single worst hydration drink on the market.
Prime is terrible for hydration, and if you think it's good, you fell for their marketing hook line and sinker. The video that pformag shared is on point with the problems with Prime.
I use this. Decent value for the amount you get.
44% sugar seems like way too much
for hydration, you need sugars.
Almost 30g sugar per serving!
The sodium content is quite low compared to other minerals provided in the electrolyte plus, I always add a pinch of salt, their electrolyte blend and go below the recommended serving size. Works great and cheaper in the long run too.
OK good to have a look at another product, thanks.
Have bought products from Bulk Nutrients previously, been happy with their pricing, customer service so will try this.
Hydralite and other electrolyte powders/drinks designed for when you have been exploding at both ends and therefore have a shed load of sugar. Get some sugarfree (low carb) electrolytes from iherb or similar.
Two of the best products are - relyte and lmnt. Both pricey but dosage wise you're getting what you need.
https://lytes.com.au/products/re-lyte-electrolyte-mix-mango-…
Hydralyte is only slightly better than water.
Just over $1 per serve still seems reasonable. Are you aware of Lytes ever having sales or discount periods?
Looks like a quality product. This brand I will definitely be giving a shot, thanks.
So most people are saying plain water works best. But I'd take that with a pinch of salt… <badum-tish>
😂
Underrated comment. Pinch of salt water. Gatorade by design is same. They add salt and than sugar and chemicals for taste.
I know your post is on hydration.. But re: your headaches, have you gotten your eyesight checked recently?
I have yes, recently had a thorough check up and as a result, now wear prescription glasses for the first time, for extended periods in front of screens at work.
This guy, in water:
https://yoketo.com.au/products/lite-salt
One gram/litre will go a long way (not medical advice, just my two cent).
Cheapest source of potassium money can buy, I believe.
Wow that's interesting. Thanks, it's on the list to look into further and try!
drink 2 servings of hydralyte a day.
1 when you wake up and 1 in the Arvo like 4 or 5 or before dinner.
drink water regularly throughout the day
make sure you're eating healthy and doing at least a 10 minute walk or any other form of exercise each day.
if still getting regular headaches 2 weeks later - see a gp (find a bulk billed one using google)
sometimes what people post here gets me really worried
I have seen multiple professionals in their medical fields over the last few years regarding the headaches.
Hence my post, and my sweating issue possibly being a cause of the headaches.
But the most important thing I have realised here is that I do not drink enough water, that will definitely change now.
'could anyone suggest the best form for a daily rehydration product … but in a healthiest, most beneficial form?'
um - lemme see now - 'hydrate' = 'add water'
but no - you'd rather pay for an artificial product ?
'Hydration: Why It's So Important - familydoctor.org
Most healthy people can stay well hydrated by drinking water and other fluids whenever they feel thirsty. For some people, fewer than 8 glasses may be enough. Other people may need more. While plain water is best for staying hydrated, other drinks and foods can help, too' - https://familydoctor.org/hydration-why-its-so-important
last I looked I believe I saw something like the only people that need added salts are extreme athletes who might be running marathons in the desert or somesuch - everyone else simply don't need anything other than water which last I looked cost me about 0.2 cents per litre - from the tap - or any bubbler in city streets.
The typical test for needing to drink water is if your urine is darker than straw colour (except I take Vit B tablets which make it bright yellow - in one end and out the other)
Others have said drink water Before you exercise - so I'm guessing a simple forethought in planning and choosing to drink appropriately - after all the best source of knowledge about your health comes from - you - your experience.
Pay attention to your own habits - choose healthy - drink water and forget the nonsense sold to you by spruikers of empty calories, etc.
whole weekend a public holiday mate gov (profanity) it up
Sir, this is a topic about hydration, not about what the government is doing (or should I say not doing), I think you're wanting Reddit?
Water or coconut water.
So I'm a pretty active & therefore sweaty guy. Have suffered long term, from headaches, possibly caused by me being constantly dehydrated.
Possibly? Are you self diagnosing yourself or something?
I'd suggest you go see a doctor if you haven't. Being constantly thirsty/dehydrated could be a sign of other problems like diabetes
I have seen multiple professionals in their medical fields over the last few years regarding the headaches.
Hence my post, and my sweating issue possibly being a cause of the headaches. As other check ups have turned up nothing or only helped in minor ways.
But the most important thing I have realised here is that I do not drink enough water, that will definitely change now.
You're not drinking enough water, so just start with more of that. Don't necessarily wait until your thirsty, just go have a glass of water a few extra times a day.
If your urine is dark then you're probably dehydrated, if not then go to the doctor about your headaches.
Yep more water is my number 1 takeaway from here, thanks.
Lower your sugar intake, ever heard of sugar crash headaches
No I haven't, will look into this further, thanks.
Water
Water with bit of salt added is better
Yups 100% agreed.
Yea surprised most people don’t know this. Also human by design are also meant to get water from food (fruit, vegetables, meat has great hydration). Not everyday human (human history ) found a river, stream etc to drink from etc. also river water so much more minerals and electrolytes than tap water and bottle water. But yea I’m modern day, drinking from river is not safe (pesticide, pollution etc)
The sugar and salt in hydration drinks help the water to absorb. They are in very specific amounts though. Avoiding the pure sugar drink which can dehydrate in high enough quantity.
Thanks for the info.
Do you know if the zero sugar variants of Gatorade, etc, would therefore be a good option of the normal ones?
I don't know. I only have done some googling on it in the past because I suffered dehydration too. If you are chronic dehydrated though even after drinking fairly decent amounts, I'd visit a GP about it sooner rather than later. You never know with body doing weird stuff. Could be some underlying thing or whatever.
OK no worries thanks for the insight.
I also find I get headaches easily if I get even slightly dehydrated.
I've found a Berocca in the morning a huge help and have been taking daily for a few weeks. I feel a lot better.
Just here to say the same thing as everyone else.
Drink water.
There's a ton of information I could give you but let's start with some basic stuff.
Get a full blood test done, inc
* for diabetes, I'd recommend non fasting one
* kidney function test
* lipids, cholesterol (hdl/ldl, etc)
* and any general stuff your gp/doc recommends.
If you get the all clear, look at your diet, and make it healthier. Being over overweight can contribute to sweating more too, but so can too much sugar or carbs that your consuming and not burning - don't eat a ton of sugar at night.
Like everyone has mentioned consume more water and take a piss more often when required but don't go crazy and drink 5L of fluids a day unnecessarily - use some common sense.
Some people do sweat more than others but that's a medical thing not to usually worry about. Research why you sweat and understand that's its the body's way of keeping cool and keeping your body temperature to its ~37°C.
With exercise, if you have poor fitness/health/diet/lots of hair your likely going to feel the heat sooner. So if your outdoors wear a wide brim hat and keep hydrated with a Hydralyte solution containing minimal sugars. Going for walk/run exercise outdoors early morning, late afternoon/evening during cooler time of day in summer-like-temps.
1.5L of water simply doesn't cut it. Drink 2.5L+ throughout the day, sipping is better than skulling it all at once. Your bladder on avg empties out 60-90m after you drink ~500ml-1L - so using some science don't drink a ton of water cause you'll just piss off your body's electrolyte balance and be flushing salts out which can cause dehydration too. Research water consumption daily intake online and you'll get an idea. Ignore all the hobos recommending salts. Just use Hydralytes from the shop, you can find sugar free or glucose based ones online too.
You can also research headaches. Experiening them in different areas of the head can be for different reasons. Dehydration headaches are like migraines in more serious circumstances and Panadol does not get rid of them. You can experience blurred vision, particular blurryness at the corners of your vision, this is generally an indication of dehydration. There are also other tells of dehydration which you can Google for.
This info should get you on the right track :)
Thank you for for detailed reply.
I will follow advice on here & go see a different GP again, and will ask for those tests you've suggested.
Some things you've put forward I do already, mainly to do with getting rid of body hair, wearing wide brimmed hats and avoiding the sun during hottest times of the day. I am quite sun conscious as direct sun obviously causes me to overheat rather quickly.
I'm now committed to drinking more water & also having a Hydralyte type poduct daily, not just on days of strenuous exercise. A sugar free product as you describe I think will be best for me.
I have not experienced problems with my eyes but will Google other symptoms of dehydration. It starts with heavy sweating, which causes my head to become really hot, leading to throbbing headaches and mental & physical fatigue that often takes two days to recover from.
How about fresh coconuts? Plenty here in the Philippines.
Fresh coconuts is simply 1 of the best way
Dihydrogen monoxide
Get some electrolyte drops like Keto Chow. It’s unflavoured - simply add some to water.
I just drink loads of tea. It’s my comfort drink.
Water
If you are otherwise healthy (and haven’t just eaten a big plate of beetroot), your body has a built-in indicator that tells you if you are drinking enough water - just make sure that your pee is mostly a light-medium yellow.
Deciding how much to drink in terms of exact numbers of cups, litres or whatever doesn’t make sense due to the huge variation in people’s size, activity level and factors like the weather.
Gatorade, Powerade and similar drinks are all terrible (with chemical, high sugar). The salt in these drink is the key ingredient which provides body with electrolytes. Drink water with bit of salt will work better (can also add pinch of salt to tea etc)
one way to tell your hydration level is by the colour of your wee
according to a chart at my work if you are properly hydrated it should be clear or close to it
the darker and yellower it is the more dehydrated you are
I sweat a lot while riding around, motorcycle gear is heavy and the sun baking me. During long/hot weather riding, I like to dilute powerade/gatorade with water. I'm not an active person so this may not be enough for you. I only recently discovered this article below:
https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/staying-hydrated-while…
Bloke in the article recommends Pedialyte, however never tried it myself.
Coconut water is my new thing. Not the ones in cans as they can have added sugar. Supposed to be so healthy, you substitute in an IV (emergency). Each person needs their own water/mineral balance and it changes based on climate.
Lots of info in this thread. Here's something from a dietitian talking about high sweaters (in context of runners/athletes) which you may find helpful:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5CCyqDyb4B
Ta mate
My 2c.
This is the controversial one:
Don't drink too much water during exercise. Your body can't process that much fluid and what does go back into the body is straight water which messes up the salt concentration in your body. Best to at least drink hydralite/water at a 50/50 rate (i.e. alternate between the two), maybe straight hydralite if it's intensive but you do have to watch it and not overdo this.
After exercise, do the same thing but don't just chug half a litre of water. Do it slow and make sure you have salts in there. Mistake would be to not eat food and hit the water straight up. This will help in the long run, but in the short term can cause headaches. Same principle, you don't want to chuck straight water into your body which probably has high salt concentration already. Do it slow, maybe drink 200mls, and then another 200mls over the next half hour sipping it slowly.
I don't really have science to back this up but I suffer massively from headaches after intensive exercise. This has helped me manage it.
Water with a little salt. The reason you need a salt is that during dehydration, your body takes water and salt out of the muscles, causing cramps and headaches.