Water and electrolyte replacement during repeated days of work in the heat.

  • 1 June 1975
    • journal article
    • Vol. 46  (6) , 795-800
Abstract
In an attempt to determine the value of replacing sweat losses with and electrolyte solution, 12 subjects (2 women and 10 men) were dehydrated (minus 3% body weight) on 5 successive days. During one 5-d sequence, the subjects replaced fluid losses with a glucose-electrolyte solution, while water was the only fluid ingested during a second 5-d series. With the exception of the drink, daily ionic and caloric intakes were identical for the two 5-d conditions. Measurements of water and electrolyte losses in sweat and urine showed a positive balance in body Na+, K+, and Cl- during both the water (W) and electrolyte solution (ES) treatments. Subjects accumulated significantly more Na+ during the W experiments (392 mEq/5 d) than when the electrolyte solution was ingested (334 mEq/5 d). As a result, the extracellular fluid compartment, represented by plasma volume, increased 12.2 and 9.0% during the 5-d sequence of the W and ES trials, respectively. It was concluded that the addition of electrolytes to drinking water is of minimal value for subjects who dehydrated (-3%) on repeated days and are permitted to ingest food and drink libitum

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