MadSci Network: Medicine |
Aloha, Richard, I just re-activated my madsci listing from being off during the summer; sorry about the lag-time in answering your most interesting questions. Regarding the questions of sugar speeding up the rate of water absorption in the gut and the mechanism: Yes, there is ample evidence that that is so...and it is part of the reason that ORT works so well, regardless of what your friend might believe. It works because glucose and sodium (from the table salt in the solutions) co-transport at the cells which line the small intestine. As the sodium is transported, it 'drags' water with it. Thus, the glucose, sodium and water are all absorbed into the capillaries that drain the gastrointestinal tract. There is an excellent, easily understandable, chapter about ORT in the latest (4th) edition of _Pediatric Nutrition Handbook_, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (1998)...if you're interested in pursuing this further. Regarding the question about using 'sports drinks,' such as Gatorade; These drinks are what nutritionists call 'functional foods.' You are using water with a bit of carbohydrate (glucose, etc.) and salt. An expensive, but convenient, way to get those nutrients. Water, by itself, is usually just fine for moderate exercise. The only time that these drinks do much good (and are really needed) is in endurance events, such as events lasting more than 2 hours...or when there is really excessive sweating (like in the Honolulu Marathon, sometimes). I am not a sports nutritionist, however. If you'd like to contact one, I could provide his e-mail address (with his permission, of course)...one of my colleagues that I co-teach the introductory nutrition course with, here at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa. I hope that this answers your questions. Thanks for using the MadScientists Network. Dian Dooley, Ph.D. Associate Professor/Food Science and Human Nutrition ,
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