Sodium Cycling

[Robert Allison]

Not really a study, but an interesting article nonetheless:

http://www.t-nation.com/article/diet...etAndNutrition

T-Nation--you have to use your own judgment as to whether that is safe for your work or family.

Originally Posted by Steven Low

The nice thing is our bodies have a couple of hormones that regulate sodium and water retention so all the crap about too much sodium leads to high blood pressure & hypertension is a bunch of BS (IMO). Well, at least for healthy athletic people.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Gary Taubes wrote a great article on this for Science a while back called The (Political) Science of Salt. I think you can still find it online, but, in a nutshell, he agrees.

Unless you are sodium sensitive, which is usually related to kidney impairment, salt is generally not an issue.

[Garrett Smith]

I think our mechanisms for regulating chloride/chlorine are much less developed and/or overburdened these days.

I don't believe sodium is as much an issue as the chloride (and they always seem to come together in our modern "salt").

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Originally Posted by Grissim Connery

any basic physiology book will describe it. look up a section on action potentials, and then look up a section on nephrons and kidney function. you can probably find all of it on google

Yeah pretty basic I guess I found a bunch of info however none of it really helped understanding how to balance all of these nutrients we are talking about. I am pretty sure I am in good shape considering the contents of my diet still I am curiouse as to some specifics.

Dr. G- thanx. I am wondering about that iodine test where did you get it? Also as I am in a bulking phase my diet is a bit less alkaline then usual so I have been takeing a Ph pill byenzymedica or something anyway it contains bicarbonate along with some other minerals and some theraputic enzymes to help deal with any undigested food in the GI even still when I use liptness to test my urine it has been rather acidic like 5.5 is that just to be expected when eating to gain?

[Garrett Smith]

Liam,
I send the iodine test out, you collect the urine sample, then mail it back to the lab, they send me the results.

As for the bicarb, definitely don't take it with protein, it will inhibit your own stomach acid.

The enzymes should be helpful.

As for the acidity, that's a tough one on a mass phase. Veggies are what are most alkaline, they're also what you don't tend to have room for with all the other calories. You may want to try more of the bicarb supplement.

[Greg Davis]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

Eat a ton of veggies for potassium, even consider supplementing potassium bicarb to "alkalize" the system, two birds with one stone

I remember looking for this form of potassium at local health food stores with no luck. Is there another name for this form or is there a name of a good product that is widely available?

[Garrett Smith]

Greg,
Considering the positive research on potassium bicarbonate (along with potassium in general), it is shockingly difficult to find, even online.

Apparently, Alka-Seltzer GOLD (not Cold) has a decent amount of potassium bicarbonate in it, along with the good old sodium bicarbonate.

The supplement that I will likely use with my future osteoporosis nutrition/exercise/supplement program is this one. This particular one is only made available to healthcare practitioners. If the Alka-Seltzer Gold doesn't work for you or if you'd rather have capsules, feel free to PM me and I can get you some.

Again, don't take any bicarb with your protein, unless you want it to digest poorly. There is likely nothing worse for one's health than partially-digested meat sitting around the intestines at >100 degrees...

[Greg Davis]

Thats annoying cuz its probably a relatively cheap supplement to put together.

Alka Seltzer Gold:

Active ingredients
(in each tablet)
Anhydrous citric acid 1000 mg. Antacid
Potassium bicarbonate 344 mg. Antacid
Sodium bicarbonate (heat-treated) 1050 mg. Antacid

Other information
* each tablet contains: potassium 135 mg
* each tablet contains: sodium 309 mg

Seems odd to take a potassium supplement salt in it.. ?

[Garrett Smith]

I had an ND school buddy of mine who ordered the powdered potassium bicarb and would mix it with his water...he didn't do that for very long. If I remember correctly, he said it was pretty darn bitter.

At least the ProThera/Klaire product has equal amounts of sodium and potassium bicarb in it, and doesn't have to mix with water so one tastes it.

[Darryl Shaw]

Why waste your money on supplements when you can just eat raisins? They're the perfect post workout carb as they're full of potassium, rich in antioxidants (ORAC score 3037 μ mol TE/100g) and have a PRAL value of -21 making them one of the most alkaline foods around.

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritio...ols/acid.shtml

http://oracvalues.com/raisins-seedless

[Liam Dougherty Springer]

Originally Posted by Garrett Smith

Liam,
I send the iodine test out, you collect the urine sample, then mail it back to the lab, they send me the results.

As for the bicarb, definitely don't take it with protein, it will inhibit your own stomach acid.

The enzymes should be helpful.

As for the acidity, that's a tough one on a mass phase. Veggies are what are most alkaline, they're also what you don't tend to have room for with all the other calories. You may want to try more of the bicarb supplement.

Thanx Dr.G-

I am always sure to take the Ph supplement at least 2 hours after I eat I try to make it 3 + sometimes I will put them by my bed so if I wake up in the night I will take them w/ a glass of water. as far as the Iodine test I will PM you do you think it would make sence to wait until my diet is back to usual for a couple of weeks as I am a few weeks into a bulking phase and everything is going to change.