On hydration

This observation motivated by the recent discussion on hydration.

Just under a year ago I started my x/c career in Arizona, flying at Estrella
and Turf. Needless to say these are not cool places in the summer. When the
weather turned hot (which was in mid-April last year) I followed the
conventional wisdom of "you can't drink too much water". In June and July I
was drinking a gallon of water while rigging and another quart during lunch.
While flying I would knock off a 100-ounce Camelbak and most of a second
one.

But I experienced a consistent problem: in the latter part of my flights, I
would get dizzy, disoriented, and nauseous. At least one flight was aborted
prematurely because I just didn't feel fit to walk or talk, much less fly.

When I shared my experiences with a couple of seasoned Arizona pilots, they
independently pointed out to me that drinking too much water can cause an
electrolyte imbalance in the body, leading to the symptoms I described. They
suggested drinking a quart of two of Gatorade as needed during rigging, and
while flying, drink regularly but don't drink water just for the sake of
drinking water. This routine worked wonderfully. (Thank you 1X and 190!)

What surprised me about that whole water consumption episode was that it was
the second time I went through it. The first was a year or two prior when I
complained to a fitness instructor about headaches and dizziness when
working out. She asked me in detail about my diet and water drinking habits.
Her diagnosis was surprising: I was overhydrated! Her unconventional but
completely logical advice was to treat water like food. That is, listen to
the body: eat in moderation when hungry (but don't wait until you're too
hungry), drink in moderation when thirsty (but don't wait until too
thirsty). Be reasonable with both. As it is possible to eat too much food,
it is possible to drink too much water. When I followed her advice the
problems quickly went away.

So, if you're a new pilot bent on not being one of those who get hurt after
getting dehydrated, keep in mind that overhydration can be just as
dangerous. Use common sense. Sip Gatorade while rigging. Don't wait until
your thirsty to drink, but don't drink just for the sake of drinking. There
is a happy medium.

Ted in Chandler
Hph 304CZ "2NO"