Dehydration Question

[ReverendNewman]

Sup gentlemen,

I went to get my off cycle blood work does today. Been off for almost 2 months now, did my proper PCT and feel GREAT! Diet, cardio are real tight. Strength is still kinda in the tank cause I took 6 weeks off from the gym to do that Insanity bullshit! (P.S. U get a great sweat going, but that was about it for me, and some low back pain LOL).

Anyway, I don't have my results yet, I'll post them in about a week. The Dr. said I was dehydrated just by looking at my skin and the way the blood was just splattering in the vile used to take up blood.

My BP was 117/88. Kinda surprised it was that high considering that amount of cardio I've been doing. Would dehydration cause I little spike in BP?

My gut instinct would be yeah, because the blood is thick. I really haven't been drinking my gallon of water a day like I usually do. Plus I'm back on the Creatine and I go tanning. If that matters.

Any thoughts?

[MickeyKnox]

Creatine will dehydrate you and so will the tanning beds.

Try sticking with 4 liters per day of water and see if that makes any changes in your BP. I honestly have no idea on the BP part.

[cj111]

117/88 is really not that bad of a BP. I bet if you checked it a few more times and took an average, you would be at the stand 120/80. Mine fluxuates like crazy.
As far as dehydration, it can lead to increased BP because your blood would be thicker, probably in extreme cases. You really are close to he norm though, Id be curious if you went back to your gallon a day and got checked if it would make a difference. You should test it out

[ReverendNewman]

Thanx. I'm just hearing a lot on the TV nowadays the ur BP should be like 110/70 !!!! Back in the day, I used to have a little high BP, 145/98. But of course that was weight related. I used to weigh 275 at 5'7". Thanx guys.

[MickeyKnox]

120/80 is just about perfect for me.

[fit2bOld]

Thats pretty good BP Rev. Easy to get dehydrated with the high intensity cardio. Like Mickey said keep chugging the water. Soda and other beverages are not water and caffeinated beverages can lead to further dehydration.

[cj111]

120/80 is just about perfect for me.

That's considered the normal healthy BP, so youre on the ball mick

[Buster Brown]

I have had some bad experiences with creatine and dehydration. I drink almost a gallon of water a day and consume 2-3 cups of coffee a day and take 5grams of creatine. I only take it during Pct and when I do, I hate it. I always and up with some kind of small muscle tear when using it. I know ALOT of guys swear by it but everyone is different, might be a good idea to lose the Creatine for a while.

[Lunk1]

Yes...dehydration can cause higher BP

[Bonaparte]

N0. Dehydration causes a drop in BP due to hypovolemia. And creatine does not cause dehydration, nor do tanning beds (unless you're really sweating).

[MickeyKnox]

N0. Dehydration causes a drop in BP due to hypovolemia. And creatine does not cause dehydration, nor do tanning beds (unless you're really sweating).

I know nothing about BP and hydration, but i can guarantee you Creatine dehydrates and many others that have used it. I'm constantly thirsty and need hydration when using creatine for 3-4wks at a time. I assume this to be the fact that Creatine's primary role is to volumize muscle cells with water. Again, this is what i believe based on personal experience, an extensive study done by a variety of clinics, and several other supporting studies - and supporting information from one of the manufacturers.

Tanning dehydrates ME because of the water loss due to sweating, as you already mentioned.

[Bonaparte]

I know nothing about BP and hydration, but i can guarantee you Creatine dehydrates and many others that have used it. I'm constantly thirsty and need hydration when using creatine for 3-4wks at a time. I assume this to be the fact that Creatine's primary role is to volumize muscle cells with water. Again, this is what i believe based on personal experience, an extensive study done by a variety of clinics, and several other supporting studies - and supporting information from one of the manufacturers.

Tanning dehydrates ME because of the water loss due to sweating, as you already mentioned.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/53...ate-your-body/

Dehydration involves a net loss of water from the body. Creatine causes the opposite, so it does not cause dehydration. However, it can contribute to muscle or abdominal cramps by pulling water to different tissues, which can be mistaken for dehydration.

[MickeyKnox]

In fairness, that was for one wk. Other research groups have reported dehydration. But as you indicated, perhaps this is simply muscle cramping - due to dehydration..lol

But i totally understand your point. And perhaps the dehydration im referring to is not dehydration at all, but simply muscle cramps as you pointed out. But i continually need constant hydration when using Creatine, so i assumed that my body is dehydrated for whatever reason. Otherwise why would i be so dry and "dehydrated"? Its sounds like viscous circle.

FTR, after about a wk off Creatine, im back to normal water hydration habits again.

[cj111]

From my understand..dehydration would lead to less plasma in the blood, meaning it would be thicker, thus making it harder to push through the pipes raising your BP no ?

[Bonaparte]

From my understand..dehydration would lead to less plasma in the blood, meaning it would be thicker, thus making it harder to push through the pipes raising your BP no ?

No, because the decrease in blood volume is much more important than the increase in viscosity.

[MickeyKnox]

Bonaparte,

Forgot to ask last evening, is it possible to dehydrate a part of the body or specific organs without a having an h20 net loss?

[ReverendNewman]

I have had some bad experiences with creatine and dehydration. I drink almost a gallon of water a day and consume 2-3 cups of coffee a day and take 5grams of creatine. I only take it during Pct and when I do, I hate it. I always and up with some kind of small muscle tear when using it. I know ALOT of guys swear by it but everyone is different, might be a good idea to lose the Creatine for a while.

Well, I'm gonna be honest! I'm gonna take responsibility and just chalk it up to be lazy with my water intake. Drinking probably too much coffee too, but that's relative. So It could be all of the above. Creatine, Tanning, Cardio, Coffee (Diuretic) and just not drinking enough plain old water. Thanx for all the help.

[Lunk1]

N0. Dehydration causes a drop in BP due to hypovolemia. And creatine does not cause dehydration, nor do tanning beds (unless you're really sweating).

When you do not drink adequate water the body will compensate by retaining sodium. That should be a red flag. Sodium is directly related to high blood pressure.

While this sodium retention takes place, the persistent dehydration will lead the body to gradually ‘close’ some of the capillary beds. This leads to increased pressure places on arteries and a rise in blood pressure.

[Bonaparte]

When you do not drink adequate water the body will compensate by retaining sodium. That should be a red flag. Sodium is directly related to high blood pressure.

While this sodium retention takes place, the persistent dehydration will lead the body to gradually ‘close’ some of the capillary beds. This leads to increased pressure places on arteries and a rise in blood pressure.

That's not how it works. This is sorta my job (treating medical emergencies like dehydration)...
Sodium is related to HTN because it attracts water to the interstitial space. If you are dehydrated, then this clearly isn't an issue in the first place (and dehydration is usually accompanied by hyponatremia (low sodium levels)).
Capillary beds will only constrict enough to maintain adequate pressure, and will not cause hypertension in this case. A decrease in fluids will decrease BP, and vice versa. Why do you think diuretics are used to treat HTN? We treat hypovolemia with fluids in order to increase BP.
But again, this is beyond the scope of the OP's issue, since his has nothing to do with dehydration (his BP is fine).
Why do you think diuretics are used to treat HTN?

Maybe we're not on the same page here because I'm talking about pathological dehydration, and you're talking about a high sodium intake (which isn't dehydration).

[Lunk1]

That's not how it works. This is sorta my job...
Capillary beds will only close enough to maintain adequate pressure, and will not cause hypertension. A decrease in fluids will decrease BP, and vice versa. We treat hypovolemia with fluids in order to increase BP.
But again, this is beyond the scope of the OP's issue, since his has nothing to do with dehydration.
Why do you think diuretics are used to treat HTN?

I know what your job is and I would expect that you would know that dehydration IS a cause of both high and low BP. Dehydration can cause hypertension and even a quick google search will show anyone that.

My point isn't that dehydration is the cause of the ops issue but that high BP can result from dehydration. I know what your job is and I also know there is plenty

[austinite]

Lol. But does dehydration cause anger? Relax lunky. He was just educating. That's all.

[Lunk1]

Lol. But does dehydration cause anger? Relax lunky. He was just educating. That's all.

I'm not angry at all. A bit hungover (so maybe slightly dehydrated) but not angry.

[MickeyKnox]

Bonaparte,

Forgot to ask last evening, is it possible to dehydrate a part of the body or specific organs without a having an h20 net loss?

Im not hung over, im not dehydrated, and im not angry.

What say you Bonaparte?

[Bonaparte]

I know what your job is and I would expect that you would know that dehydration IS a cause of both high and low BP. Dehydration can cause hypertension and even a quick google search will show anyone that.

My point isn't that dehydration is the cause of the ops issue but that high BP can result from dehydration. I know what your job is and I also know there is plenty

Alright, well I do have to concede that a chronic poor water intake can contribute to hypertension . But this is more of a sports medicine/healthy lifestyle thing, not a medical emergency (which is what I wanted to talk about for some reason). By the time dehydration is clinically significant, it is characterized by hypotension. Sorry for not taking that into consideration.

Can I remove my foot from my mouth now? lol

[cj111]

SEVERE dehydration would lower your bp, cause you would be in hypovolemic shock, this guy just needs a glass of water.

Bonaparte,you a doctor?

[Bonaparte]

SEVERE dehydration would lower your bp, cause you would be in hypovolemic shock, this guy just needs a glass of water.

Bonaparte,you a doctor?

Nope. I'm not that ambitious (though we do have a couple of docs here).

[MickeyKnox]

SEVERE dehydration would lower your bp, cause you would be in hypovolemic shock, this guy just needs a glass of water.

Bonaparte,you a doctor?

Hes EMS.

[cj111]

Cool, reason I asked I'm working on my emt at the moment. This stuff interests me

[Bonaparte]

Bonaparte,

Forgot to ask last evening, is it possible to dehydrate a part of the body or specific organs without a having an h20 net loss?

Yes: Extracellular vs intracellular hydration.

By altering electrolyte levels (as well as a few other tricks), you can cause a shift in fluid from cells to interstitial space (between the cells) or vice versa.

Creatine will cause water retention within muscle cells, as will glycogen (they are large molecules that attract water). Intrellular vs extracellular fluid balance is what BBers play with for contest showing. They do everything possible to encourage fluid within the muscle (intracellular), while minimizing extracellular water through the use of diuretics, androgens, low E2, and carefully timed and calculated water intake.

You can also have localized edema (fluid collection in the legs, abdomen, lungs, or what have you), but this is usually associated with CHF or renal failure.

[MickeyKnox]

Yes: Extracellular vs intracellular hydration.

By altering electrolyte levels (as well as a few other tricks), you can cause a shift in fluid from cells to interstitial space (between the cells) or vice versa.

Creatine will cause water retention within muscle cells, as will glycogen (they are large molecules that attract water). Intrellular vs extracellular fluid balance is what BBers play with for contest showing. They do everything possible to encourage fluid within the muscle (intracellular), while minimizing extracellular water through the use of diuretics, androgens, low E2, and carefully timed and calculated water intake.

You can also have localized edema (fluid collection in the legs, abdomen, lungs, or what have you), but this is usually associated with CHF or renal failure.

Perhaps that's the dehydration i was referring to earlier, but lacked the education to properly explain it.

Thanks for answering, very informative.

[lovbyts]

Most of you guys are to smart for your own good. I would just simply say drink more water because your body need it.