Posted by Dr. Frodo on May 08, 2001 at 05:32
In Reply to: Thresholds, and subsequent fre posted by wslover on May 07, 2001 at 18:06
I think I can explain why you can drink for an hour or two without needing a pee, but then you need one every 30 minutes for a while.
Few of us are fully hydrated when we have our first drink. We have a "water deficit", and our tissues gladly soak up the first pint or two. But when our body is satisfied, the kidneys start extracting the excess. Then the diuretic effect of alcohol adds to the output. If we're drinking beer, it takes a while for the alcohol to affect the kidneys, but when it does, those organs shift into high gear and extract more than is required to maintain a proper fluid balance. In the end, you pee not only the volume that you drank, but pints more, and when you wake up in the morning, part of the hangover is due to dehydration. Caffeine has a similar but usually less dramatic effect.
If you want to drink a six-pack without peeing, drink no fluids for hours prior to the event and eat only salty snacks. (Salt causes fluid retention in the body.) Wear warm clothes so that you sweat a little. Of course, dehydration is unhealthy, and it can aggravate many medical conditions. Carried to an extreme it's potentially fatal, so I must insert words of caution. One evening many years ago, I followed this routine and drank beer until dawn before I had my first pee. And this with my tiny, 24-ounce bladder!
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