Author Topic: Urination  (Read 4234 times)

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Offline Nicola

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Urination
« on: May 11, 2008, 04:31:16 am »
I find this quite interesting:

In the absence of dietary carbs, the body converts glycogen (stored primarily in the liver and muscles) to glucose.  Each gram of stored glycogen binds with 3 to 4 grams of water.  So when a gram of glycogen is converted to glucose, 3 to 4 grams of water are also released.  BTW, this accounts for the "supernaturally" fast loss of scale weight many people experience in the first week of a low-carb diet.  It's mostly water weight associated with glycogen storage.  Plus a gram of glycogen yields only about 4 kcal of energy, as opposed to about 9 kcal from a gram of fat.  So, e.g., satisfy a 9 kcal deficit via burning fat, and you lose only 1 gram of weight, but satisfy it via burning glycogen, and you lose about 9/4 = 2.25 grams of glycogen plus 3 to 4 times that much again in associated water weight.

One of insulin's lesser-known effects is to increase sodium retention by the kidneys, and the more sodium stored, the more water the body retains.  Insulin levels fall when fasting, which leads to sodium excretion, which leads to increased water excretion.


Nicola

xylothrill

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Re: Urination
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2008, 12:59:14 pm »
Nicola,

That is indeed the reason for the initially fast weight loss.

It also explains what happened to me the first time I went from a high carb, high sodium, diet to a zero carb, low sodium one.

So, when insulin levels fall, the kidneys let go of the retained sodium and the situation is exacerbated by the low sodium intake until there is an equilibrium reached where the kidneys learn to stop excreting sodium without the need for insulin. It's quite interesting. Where did you learn this? It doesn't quite go in line with what I've learned but seems plausible.

Craig

Offline Nicola

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Re: Urination
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2008, 06:09:32 pm »
I follow the Intermittent Fasting yahoo group to find connections. Urination, stool are a part of metabolism - do we understand ??? or just accept :-[

Nicola

xylothrill

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Re: Urination
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2008, 05:08:59 am »
I hear you. Sometimes we have to accept that which cannot be understood but not blindly. I don't fully understand why adding some berries to a zero carb diet can help someone feel so much better but I've accepted that it happens.  :o

Craig

 

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