The Idaho State Journal reports:
Some parts of the country are experiencing record high temperatures this summer. Las Vegas hit 117 degrees and Phoenix topped the charts at 119 degrees. Salt Lake City also hit the triple digits as did several areas in California. Dry heat or not, residents and visitors were undoubtedly feeling it, and anytime the mercury gets remotely close to these temperatures, staying hydrated is of paramount importance.
This is especially the case for anyone participating in outdoor activities or any sort of exercise program. Our bodies produce sweat in order to regulate our core body temperature. As the moisture that appears on your skin evaporates, you cool off. In fact, human beings are the most effective mammal when it comes to regulating our body temperature. At the extreme, an adult can sweat as much as two to four liters per hour.
All of this water needs to be replaced, but remember that when you sweat you are not just losing water, you are also losing minerals such as sodium and potassium. According to Dr. David McCarron, adjunct professor at University of California, Davis, “You must replace the sodium and potassium along with the water. This is why athletes drink sports drinks like Gatorade, rather than just water. Replacing water without sufficient sodium can quickly produce hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition.”
A long time ago, salt tablets were the thing. Watermelons and banana’s along with my daily salt overdose is better. I just stay away from geiger counters.
But is it potash-40, the radioactive flavor? I live in watermelon country, and am frequently passed by huge trucks full of the things. Truly frightening! A fresh new thing to be paranoid about!
And I thought it was to slow the progress of following riders, dodging the skins. 🙂
Bananas are also good for other minerals such as magnesium.
However, one must not eat too many of them as one becomes progressively more radiooactive from the potassium. They’ll probably be banned in Japan if their Red Cross emergency workers get wind of it.
Sound advice. I have seen bicyclists develop hyponatremia on long bike rides, and have to be taken to the hospital. As a child I ate extra salt, which helped a great deal, but Gatorade is better because it contains the right balance of potassium salts. Watermelon is rich in potassium, as are bananas. Which is why you see lots of bananas at the rest stops on long bike rides.