# Frequent Urination after hard race...



## biknben (Jan 28, 2004)

I'm just gonna throw this question out there and see what you guys think.

Cytomax is my drink of choice. I'll consume about 15-20oz in the hour before a race while warming up. As I approach the 1-hour mark, I'll begin consuming 22oz per hour. For food, I'll eat 1/2 clif bar before leaving and finish it during the first half of the race. Then I'll take in as much Gu as I can while racing. Races vary from 1-2.5 hours (Road & MTB). Immediately after, my diet consists of a protein bar or Clif Bar. Some gatorade or other cheaper energy drink. I'll add fruit like apples, bananas, and plums depending on what is available in the house. This will be consumed during a cool-down or while driving home.

This is where things get puzzling. Within an hour my bladder is determined to have a mass-exodus. If I'm able to make it home without stopping, I'm making a dash for the bathroom as soon as I get home. This continues for the rest of the day and night. Urine is clear and seems to go right through my bod.

I'd assume I'm overhydrating but the next morning on the scale my weight is *down* 2-3 pounds. I typically eat well the night before and morning of a race. I'll bump my normal caloric consumption up from 2700 to 3500ish. Why am I peeing endlessly and underweight the next day. Typically my weight is back to normal two days after a race.

What do you guys think? Recognize any symptoms?

Thanks in advance.


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## Squint (Jan 22, 2004)

Impaired glucose tolerance?


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## janzen (Apr 28, 2003)

*Fascinating, me too!*



biknben said:


> I'm just gonna throw this question out there and see what you guys think.
> 
> Cytomax is my drink of choice. I'll consume about 15-20oz in the hour before a race while warming up. As I approach the 1-hour mark, I'll begin consuming 22oz per hour. For food, I'll eat 1/2 clif bar before leaving and finish it during the first half of the race. Then I'll take in as much Gu as I can while racing. Races vary from 1-2.5 hours (Road & MTB). Immediately after, my diet consists of a protein bar or Clif Bar. Some gatorade or other cheaper energy drink. I'll add fruit like apples, bananas, and plums depending on what is available in the house. This will be consumed during a cool-down or while driving home.
> 
> ...


I couldn't have described my issues more accurately. This can be an embarrasing issue during a group ride, that is, I'm always stopping. I've had a similar issue during long distance running. While riding, I might have to stop to pee hourly for the first couple of hours. I drink appropriately during the ride, and then end up very thirsty later on in the day. I'm still too young for prostate troubles. I avoid coffee the AM before a ride to prevent the additional effects of caffeine. I pee clear urine during the ride, copious quantities, and I don't pre-hydrate.

A urologist friend of mine speculated that us fit folks might increase renal blood flow and have a diuresis during exercise to flush the wastes produced. I don't believe this. I do believe that bladder sphincters can go into spasm giving a sense of "urgency".

I'm still working on this issue. Let me know if you get anywhere.


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## janzen (Apr 28, 2003)

*Ddavp*

I've also considered giving myself an intranasal dose of DDAVP. This is a drug given to kids to decrease urine production at night, hopefully eliminating bed-wetting. BTW, I don't have that problem! But a shot of this might help during a ride or race. I'll see what the nephrologists think.


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## Squint (Jan 22, 2004)

Are you eating or drinking anything with high glycemic indices? Orange juice, candy, most energy drinks...?

I used to pee a lot and it was due to impaired glucose tolerance. It would've been nice if I'd known back then before it turned into full blown diabetes. I had to ride a lot more and decrease my BMI from ~23 to 21.5 to make most of the symptoms go away. I still can't drink Endurox at full strength.


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## janzen (Apr 28, 2003)

*Just a normal breakfast*



Squint said:


> Are you eating or drinking anything with high glycemic indices? Orange juice, candy, most energy drinks...?
> 
> I used to pee a lot and it was due to impaired glucose tolerance. It would've been nice if I'd known back then before it turned into full blown diabetes. I had to ride a lot more and decrease my BMI from ~23 to 21.5 to make most of the symptoms go away. I still can't drink Endurox at full strength.


Hi, typically, I eat just a normal breakfast for me: toast or granola/oatmeal, piece of fruit, usually skip the coffee. No orange juice. I'm 187 cm (6 ft. 2), 75 kg (165 lbs) - BMI ~ 21. I don't normally use engergy drinks. In fact, I often avoid drinking in the first hour of a ride, assuming it's not too hot, because it always seems as if fluids just run straight from mouth to bladder.

After a normal commute to work (40 min), if I've had coffee, I'll have to head straight to the can.

I believe impaired glucose tolerance is a reasonable idea, but as mentioned, my normal breakfast foods don't have particularly high glycemic indices.

Thanks for the thoughts.


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## Squint (Jan 22, 2004)

Have a few glasses of OJ before a morning ride and see if that makes it worse. If so, then your body isn't able to handle the glucose. Many years ago, when it wasn't nearly as bad, one small glass of OJ in the morning would have me take 3 piss breaks on one ride. I think I was 25 and riding 200-250 mi/week at the time.

It might not be a bad idea to have a glucose tolerance test. The interpretation of results are being rethought these days because a lot of people are in a pre-diabetic state. A fasting blood glucose test probably would have a normal result, as it did for me years ago.





janzen said:


> Hi, typically, I eat just a normal breakfast for me: toast or granola/oatmeal, piece of fruit, usually skip the coffee. No orange juice. I'm 187 cm (6 ft. 2), 75 kg (165 lbs) - BMI ~ 21. I don't normally use engergy drinks. In fact, I often avoid drinking in the first hour of a ride, assuming it's not too hot, because it always seems as if fluids just run straight from mouth to bladder.
> 
> After a normal commute to work (40 min), if I've had coffee, I'll have to head straight to the can.
> 
> ...


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## janzen (Apr 28, 2003)

*Are you suggesting this might be an osmotic diuresis?*

For me, it my diuresis seems to be related to the actual act of exercise, rather than the calories consumed prior to it. I just got home from a relatively hard mountain bike ride, lots of steep climbing. I rode for about 80 minutes, and had eaten a normal supper about one hour prior to riding. As per usual, I really had to go by the time I got home - clear as per the norm.

My particular diuretic phenomenon seems to occur with any exercise, independent of 
mealtimes.

Today, I didn't ride to work (tired legs), so I drove the car. I had two cups of coffee with breakfast at work. Result - no exercise, no diuresis.

Any nephrologists or urologists out there?


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