What's the deal with dairy and cutting?

[MS]

I limit my sodium intake when I'm cutting because sodium makes me retain a lot of fluid. This, in itself, is not a hinderance to fatloss. However it makes gauging my progress difficult if the scales are changing all the time. One way around this is to measure your sodium intake just like you macronutrient intake. In other words, work your diet so you know you're getting X grams of sodium per day (no more, no less). Then you know that weight fluctuations are not caused by sodium balance. I also limit my sodium because I am prone to essential hypertension, and my father and grandfather have died from heart failure, but this is irrelevant to you if this is not an issue. The best way to tell if your sodium sensitive is to follow a low salt cutting diet for a few weeks (and make sure you're losing weight). Then have your weight and BP measured. The next week add salt into your diet and have your weight and BP remeasured. If your weight or BP has increased (and nothing else has changed in your diet/training except the sodium), then there's a good chance you're sensitive. It's not really anything to worry about except that it can affect the weight readings.

This is all pretty off the cuff. Hormonal changes due to stress, menstral stage, heat, humidity etc...can also affect water balance. The most important thing is to drink PLENTY of water, no matter what you eat.

 

[Sassy69]

Good stuff - thx for the enlightenment of this occassional visitor to bb fairytale land!

And they all lived lactosily ever after...!

 

[wilson6]

If you blow up from the sodium in your toothpaste.

Unless you have a blood pressure problem, sodium is a good thing.

What causes sodium sensitivity is a low sodium diet. When you're intake of sodium is high, you will excrete the sodium. If you're taking in 5 grams a day and take in an extra 250 mg on top of that from some food source, then that represents an increase of only 5% and it's unlikely to cause any water retention. On the other hand, if you're only taking in a gram a day, 250 mg = 25% and is likely to cause some water retention. Water follows sodium and sodium balance (the time it takes your body to adjust to increased or decreased sodium intake) is about 36 hrs. That's the concept of sodium loading. Increase your uptake about 10 days before a show (you'll blow up and hold water for a couple of days) then the body will dump the xs sodium and the body will drop the extra water. 36 hrs from prejudging, cut the sodium in half, which means you'll still be taking in about 2 grams. Because your body is used to dumping the xs, you'll drop water.

My client didn't really mess with sodium at all for her show. Just kept both sodium and water in right through except the water in the morning to make weight, then she added some back in.

W6

 

[MS]

Sodium/potassium balance is prolly more important than sodium intake alone. But as long as you're eating lots of fresh veggies you should be fine. Just keep that appetite thing in mind.

A lot of the post competition fluid gain you hear and see is a direct result of sodium/potassium manipulation. If you don't want to go through this, then you definitely want to avoid sodium loading/depletion.

I've seen a guy take out best of show by carbing up on anything he wanted (KFC/McD's/Pizza Hut), all high salt foods (he also took SlowK). He basically took in NO water so he couldn't hold it! He was one miserable guy though. It's hard to imagine the crazy thirst he went through. I had a client with kidney problems who merely cut back a little on her water intake. She took out first in her class. So there's lots of different ways to skin a cat, and there's probably not a topic more controversial in bodybuilding. I'm sure you'll have endless hours agonizing over this one. For novice competitors I usually recommend 5 days of over hydration followed by 24-36 hours of cutting back on the water, plus some herbal diuretics. No need to mess with mineral balance.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Heh heh - thanks - no agony yet, but I just KNOW as I get leaner and actually able to SEE water retention in my body (like I said, it's kind of indiscernable from fat right now), I'll be spending hours researching the effects of sodium and potassium on the body ...

I don't think I'm sodium sensitive, and BP is fine - my body seems to be built like a brick shit house. With the battering I've given it in the past, I'm not surprised!

So I won't have to drink distilled water? Because you can't buy that here - well, not easily. You can get 500ml bottles from the drug store for medical purposes, and I heard you can buy bigger quantities from science lab supply stores. Someone I know has a distiller that they don't want any more ... I don't need it?

Speaking of veggies ... Is it possible to eat too many - I mean, like enough to affect one's diet? I LOVE veggies, but I wonder if the carbs don't add up. Let's say, half a green pepper, a celery stick, a mini cucumber, a small zucchini - I get through these over and above some spinach and broccoli that are in the daily diet plan already. Too much?

Is it true that fibrous veggies take almost as much energy to digest as they provide?

 

[MS]

?????"That's it! You've been spending too much time reading W6's posts. Back away from the keyboard"...??????????????? Spats?????????

Umm, whatever. I don't eat dairy. I am allergic to dairy protien (as opposed to lactose intolerance). So I am stating a fact. Whey is a dairy product. If you happen to be lactose intolerant than you should also be aware that all wheys are not created equal. Some are higher in lactose than others. It doesn't sound to me like SteelWeaver has a problem with lactose, so it's all academic. Other than that, veggies are good. Eat as many fibrous veggies as you want (for now). In your last week you may have to limit these just to minimize lower abdominal bloating (not a good look on stage!)

Oops Spatterson. I just realized (I think) that I'm being too analytical and too detached (is that what you meant?). My apologies. I'm sure I'll be back to normal soon

As for water retention/sodium sensitivity-I will lose 3-4kg in a one week by just limiting my sodium intake to two grams (that's~5 grams of table salt) per day. This is coming off a high sodium and high fluid diet. That's how you know for sure that you're sodium sensitive. My BP also drops tremendously. I feel better, I look better, but I still crave salt like a madman.

 

[MS]

Oh, thanks for the clarification. I would hate for ya'll to think I was buying leather loungerie for my partner, or otherwise mistake me for W6....

 

[SteelWeaver]