GrowthReaper
born to mog, forced to slay
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Classic tale of the debloater. Finds out that sodium causes water retention, then proceeds to avoid it like the plague.
This is completely WRONG however, and I don't see anyone talk about it. I'll simplify it for the low-IQcels here as well
There is such a thing as a sodium 'sensitivity' of sorts. Chronically low sodium intakes cause an (indirect) increase in aldosterone to compensate (since it is an essential mineral, your body wants to retain as much of it as possible if deprived)
What does aldosterone do? It is part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, responsible for vasoconstriction (to regulate blood pressure) and the release of an ANTI-diuretic pituitary hormone called ADH, as well as some other things not relevant here.
When aldosterone is high (and thus ADH as well), not only do you retain more sodium in the kidneys, but you will also excrete more potassium through urine.
By avoiding bloat, you only made it worse. So what should you do?
Ideally you want aldosterone low, so eat +5g of sodium min per day as well as 3-4L of water. This will prevent you from retaining sodium in your body since you lose the need to do so. Of course it will take a few days or weeks to adjust and you will be bloated at first.
And since you are creating a habit of flushing out everything, if you have an important event, just cut out both water and sodium the day before. You will be fully depleted (this is what pro bodybuilders do before competitions).
Some relevant studies:
https://academic.oup.com/aj)h/article/25/1/1/238666 ("Sodium reduction resulted in a significant increase in plasma renin and plasma aldosterone (...)")
This is completely WRONG however, and I don't see anyone talk about it. I'll simplify it for the low-IQcels here as well
There is such a thing as a sodium 'sensitivity' of sorts. Chronically low sodium intakes cause an (indirect) increase in aldosterone to compensate (since it is an essential mineral, your body wants to retain as much of it as possible if deprived)
What does aldosterone do? It is part of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, responsible for vasoconstriction (to regulate blood pressure) and the release of an ANTI-diuretic pituitary hormone called ADH, as well as some other things not relevant here.
When aldosterone is high (and thus ADH as well), not only do you retain more sodium in the kidneys, but you will also excrete more potassium through urine.
By avoiding bloat, you only made it worse. So what should you do?
Ideally you want aldosterone low, so eat +5g of sodium min per day as well as 3-4L of water. This will prevent you from retaining sodium in your body since you lose the need to do so. Of course it will take a few days or weeks to adjust and you will be bloated at first.
And since you are creating a habit of flushing out everything, if you have an important event, just cut out both water and sodium the day before. You will be fully depleted (this is what pro bodybuilders do before competitions).
Some relevant studies:
https://academic.oup.com/aj)h/article/25/1/1/238666 ("Sodium reduction resulted in a significant increase in plasma renin and plasma aldosterone (...)")
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