Incredibly thirsty after eating sugar or grains?

[Emily Mattes]

This is a weird phenomena that I've noticed ever since I started going low-carb. Any time I break diet and eat higher carb (basically, anything outside fruit and vegetables), I get incredibly thirsty. Like insanely drink half-a-gallon-of-fluids-and-feel-full-but-am-still-thirsty thirsty. When I go back to low-carb, this goes away, but it's bizarre while it's happening. Has anyone else experienced this phenomena? Is it related to the insulin spike?

(I have been tested for diabetes in the past and do not have it)

[Steven Low]

From what I've experience if you have a lot of adrenal stress (can be from life, staying up late, lifting really heavy a lot, etc.) your mineralocorticoids probably get thrown out of whack b/c high production stress for adrenaline and glucocorticoids like cortisol take priority. Thus, decreased output of hormones like aldosterone (mineralocorticoids) which regulate K/Na and water reabsorption.

This leads to frequent urination and "unquenchable" thrist.

The other guess I would probably say is something along the lines of hypothalmic or anterior pituitary dysfunction along the same lines. Antidiuretic hormone would probably be the other.... but that would more involve LOTS of urination (aka diabetes insipidus..).

Hypothalamus regulates thirst so if anything in the HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) gets jacked up then there's gonna be problems

[Garrett Smith]

It could be adrenal-related as Steven mentions, or it could just be a massive need for water for all the glycogen you're taking in on the rare occasion (is it three molecules of H20 for every glycogen, if I remember correctly?).

Likely a combo of both.

[George Mounce]

Or it could be as simple as the body requires 4g of water for every gram of carbs.

A lot less medicalspeak in one line.

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by George Mounce

Or it could be as simple as the body requires 4g of water for every gram of carbs.

A lot less medicalspeak in one line.

Also true... glucose does require water to bring it up to the isomolarity as the rest of the body. But still.. that's a lot of water to be taken in without becoming a little bit unthirsty.

[Mike ODonnell]

I'm going with muscle glycogen replenshishment into muscles and taking more water from the body in the process...hence it makes you thristy to replenish......this is why BB getting ready for a show don't drink a ton of water during a "carb load" day because they want the water under the skin to be drawn into the muscle for a more "ripped" look.

You won't be as thristy after a day or two of high carbs....as the muscles will be stocked.