[pct-l] Too Much Water and electrolytes

[walkinglarry at yahoo.com (larry hillberg)]

I became very ill early in my thru hike, barely able
to function.  Crossing Whitewater on a hot day, then
needing several hours to climb the small canyon and
cross the ridge over to Mission Creek, I needed ten
minutes of rest for every ten minutes I walked.  With
no appetite, I collapsed on the ground and slept with
no dinner.  The Mission Creek climb was even worse. 
Then trail magic.  I encountered thru hiker Eric, who
guessed my condition and gave me sports drink powder. 
Within ten minutes and two liters of water with the
mix, I was hungry and full of energy.  Afterwards, I
carried Gatorade powder or Emergen-C.

A thru-hiking doctor that I met further up the trail
told me that I probably ran low on Potassium.  When
this happens, according to him, water that you drink
just doesn't help you.  This can be a very serious
condition.  He advised me that typical trail foods
contain plenty of sodium, but little Potassium.  I
still don't know for sure what happened, only that it
didn't happen again.  A banana when in town is also a
good thing. 

I too love my Pringles, also Ritz Crackers, both of
which pack 160 or so calories for every net ounce of
weight and make tasty, efficient snacks for
weight-conscious thru hikers

> --- Jim Keener <jkeener@electricpath.com> wrote:
> Greetings:
> 
> I sweat a lot and when I replace fluids in a town
> stop on a hot day, I can
> go into some kind of electrolytic shock. My
thinking
> is that the sweating
> takes out a lot of electrolytes, along with the
> water and by replacing only
> the water, my electrolyte level plummets.
> 



		
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