# Gatorade and Headaches



## Alix (Dec 7, 2006)

OK, I just tested something out that I read a little while ago and it worked. I read that if you drink 500ml of Gatorade (or another electrolyte balancer/sport drink thing) when you have a headache that will get rid of it so you don't need to take any analgesics. 

I tried it, it worked. 

I have also read that similar amounts of water will do the trick. I've tried that as well, but with no success. I drink a LOT of water most of the time anyway so I wasn't sure if there would be a difference with the Gatorade. For me anyway, it worked.


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## karadekoolaid (Dec 7, 2006)

Alix said:
			
		

> OK, I just tested something out that I read a little while ago and it worked. I read that if you drink 500ml of Gatorade (or another electrolyte balancer/sport drink thing) when you have a headache that will get rid of it so you don't need to take any analgesics.
> 
> I tried it, it worked.
> 
> I have also read that similar amounts of water will do the trick. I've tried that as well, but with no success. I drink a LOT of water most of the time anyway so I wasn't sure if there would be a difference with the Gatorade. For me anyway, it worked.


 
Sounds like a job for MythBusters, Alix! 
From what I understand, one of the reasons headaches happen is that essential electrolytes/minerals, etc., get flushed out of the system ( often after sporting activity), thus creating headache. 
I do know that Gatorade gives me dreadful acidity!


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## kitchenelf (Dec 7, 2006)

I believe that that would actually work Alix.  We do not treat our bodies to their required nutrients every day and after awhile I think we react.  It makes perfect sense to me!


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## kitchenelf (Dec 7, 2006)

cliveb said:
			
		

> I do know that Gatorade gives me dreadful acidity!



Yea, that's a whole new problem!  lol  I was thirsty one time and my son made some Tang - I drank A LOT OF TANG and found out just how bad my acid reflux was    (sorry, I know this is off-topic - but what you drink doesn't have to be acidic - I get acid reflux from water if I don't take my medicine)


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## Alix (Dec 7, 2006)

Oooooooooo! I love Mythbusters. How the heck would they be able to test this one though? They couldn't set fire to, or blow anything up?!


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## GB (Dec 7, 2006)

Oh they would find a way Alix


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## GB (Dec 7, 2006)

The last time I had gatorade was years ago. Somewhat a long story, but I will try to make it short.

I was at camp with a broken leg in a cast. I was sick of being cooped up so I decided to (carefully) go sailing with some friends. I had this rubber thing that went over the cast so I could shower. I put that on and out we went. Our boat capsized and I was floating in the water for hours in the strong summer sun. When we finally got to shore I made it to my bed and collapsed. My cast was soaked through and was about as strong as cardboard. I felt myself slipping into nowhere. A friend noticed I was not right and got the nurse. Turns out I was having a heat stroke. One of the things she did for my was get as much fluid into my body as possible. The way she did that was take bottles of gaitorade and load them up with salt and force me to drink them. To this day I can not drink the stuff without tasting massive salt.

I would rather have the headache now then drink that stuff


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## jennyema (Dec 7, 2006)

I guess it would work if your headache is caused by dehydration.

I drink gatorade all the time!  Still have headaches ...


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## Alix (Dec 7, 2006)

Oh gross GB. I don't much care for Gatorade either but I thought I'd give it a go to see if it worked. I would rather scarf some than take pills. Maybe not if I had been in your shoes...er...cast though.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 7, 2006)

It's the salt issue with me too - but I was on a low salt diet for years and just can't hack Gatorade.


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## shpj4 (Dec 7, 2006)

Thanks Alix for the info.  I drink a lot of Gatorade and I will definitely try it when I get a headache.

I hope you have a wonderful day.


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## YT2095 (Dec 7, 2006)

actualy drinking plain water when dehydrated isn`t ideal, similarly drinking too much water when "ok" also isn`t ideal.
it`s all to do with Ions, Sodium and Potassium pumps on a molecular level in our cells, water With these ions is assimilated very quickly, as if it were our own blood.
Dillution of these elctrolytes with plain water is equaly unfortunate for the old Krebs Cycle.

so yes, any isotonic drink can elleviate headaches brought on by dehydration, it`s Not a myth


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## StirBlue (Dec 7, 2006)

That is a good way to deal with a headache.  
   We were told that our city water supply contained so many chemicals that we could get dehydrated drinking it.  We are told to supplement our thirst with bottled water.


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## Alix (Dec 7, 2006)

Jenny, the theory behind this was that most headaches are caused by dehydration. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 80%. The article also mentioned that most of us are in a perpetual state of dehydration so that upping your fluids tends to alleviate symptoms. Having said that, it went on to suggest that gatorade or something similar would work faster as it has the benefit of balancing your electrolytes. 

YT, on the nose! 

Just wanted to post that I tried both the water and the Gatorade methods and only the Gatorade one works (for me!)


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## Uncle Bob (Dec 7, 2006)

The key phrase being..."can possibly eliminate headaches brought on by dehydration" Stress being way up on the list of headache causes...maybe a glass or two of wine or scotch may be in order.


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## jennyema (Dec 7, 2006)

I have heard that most of us are perpetually dehydrated.  I think I am, though I drink a lot of water at work.

I play a lot of tennis and racquetball, thus the taste for Gatorade, which I love.

I know people who swear by Pedialyte as a hangover cure!


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## Alix (Dec 7, 2006)

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> The key phrase being..."can possibly eliminate headaches brought on by dehydration" Stress being way up on the list of headache causes...maybe a glass or two of wine or scotch may be in order.


 

  Can't do that at 10AM, especially if you have carpool duty. Gatorade is a much less dangerous option.

Jenny, I've heard that about Pedialyte too.


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## Harborwitch (Dec 7, 2006)

GB & Alix I totally agree.  Gatorade is so salty to me that it makes me gag.  Cannot even stand the smell of it!    

For me, at the end of the day with one of "those" headaches a glass of bourbon on ice with a splash of plain water works miracles - by the time the first glass is gone the headache is too.


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## BreezyCooking (Dec 7, 2006)

I alternate drinking Gatorade & water during the summer while doing my intense barn & gardening chores.

If you're getting a headache while performing athletic activities, chances are you're dehydrated.  While plain water will definitely work, Gatorade products do replenish salts & minerals that definitely might help relieve your headache faster.


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## GB (Dec 7, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> I have heard that most of us are perpetually dehydrated.


I have heard the same. As a matter of fact, any time you are thirsty, that is your body telling you that you are already dehydrated.


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## AllenOK (Dec 8, 2006)

I know I'm always fighting dehydration.  I work in a hot environment (kitchen).  And, if I don't make myself drink water, I will find myself with a headache so fast it isn't even funny.  I drink coffee in the morning to wake up, and like to drink some soda once or twice during the day.  Both are caffienated, and that makes you loose water.  Through in a beer or two, and it's even worse, as alcohol is a dyuretic as well.

Some of you may know that one of my other hobbies/addictions, is using a metal detector to find older coins that were lost years ago.  Well, down here in OK, during the summer, that's a very HOT pursuit.  I've been known to carry canteens with Gatorade made from powedered mix, or I'll stop and get a large bottle of Gatorade.


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## jennyema (Dec 8, 2006)

A woman died during the Boston Marathon a few years ago because she drank too much water.

It caused an electrolyte imbalance.

If you are really dehydrated you need electrolytes, which is why "sports drinks" are so popular.


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## ChefJune (Dec 8, 2006)

cliveb said:
			
		

> Sounds like a job for MythBusters, Alix!
> From what I understand, one of the reasons headaches happen is that essential electrolytes/minerals, etc., get flushed out of the system ( often after sporting activity), thus creating headache.
> I do know that Gatorade gives me dreadful acidity!


Me, too, clive, besides it gives me HIVES!!! Gatorade has a LOT of corn syrup in it... just like soda pop.


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## GB (Dec 8, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> A woman died during the Boston Marathon a few years ago because she drank too much water.


I drank too much water once and came very close to passing out because of it. Luckily I had a friend there who saw the color drain from my face and noticed something was up.


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## YT2095 (Dec 8, 2006)

perspriration and urination expells salts, Needed salts, excess water only dillutes what little remains, and thus you become ill.


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## XeniA (Dec 8, 2006)

Hmmm, interesting thread! I've known for awhile that if I drink enough water my headaches are better (although this cooler time of year I struggle to remember), but the water/electrolytes/salt comments were all new to me.

So am I understanding correctly? Just water's fine as long as somebody keeps up with it and doesn't _get_ dehydrated, but if you've _become_ dehydrated, it's better to replenish your system with something other than plain water, i.e. salt water? Can I be embarrassingly honest and say that I really don't know what electrolytes are even though I've heard of them?

I live in a hot country and have two kids out and running around in the summer. I need this information!


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## Alix (Dec 8, 2006)

Ayrton, electrolytes are the minerals/salts in your blood. You don't want them to be too dilute, or too concentrated. The only time you need to worry really is if you are exerting yourself a lot in a short amount of time. Then something like Gatorade is a good idea to rebalance things quickly. It is by no means necessary as water is what is the most important thing. Especially in a climate like yours. 

My original post was just to note that while plain old water doesn't work for me in getting rid of headache, the Gatorade did. I thought that was cool. 

Do you have Gatorade or Pedialyte or stuff like that in Greece? My kids like it, so when they are doing their sports I usually have some for them. Otherwise, water is fine.


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## jennyema (Dec 8, 2006)

ChefJune said:
			
		

> Me, too, clive, besides it gives me HIVES!!! Gatorade has a LOT of corn syrup in it... just like soda pop.


 
Some "colors" of gatorade have vegetable oil in them, too!


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## YT2095 (Dec 8, 2006)

in it`s simplest form, it will contain a citrate salt a sodium and potassium salt and some glucose, idealy at the correct molarity.


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## Alix (Dec 8, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Some "colors" of gatorade have vegetable oil in them, too!


 

As does Sunny Delight which grossed me out no end. And yet my kids love the swill. Cottonseed oil?


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## Silver (Dec 10, 2006)

This is why I'm relatively unconcerned about the amount of salt that I consume foodwise (within reason)...that way I can drink plenty of water and not worry about electrolyte imbalances.  Personally, I only drink something like Gatorade on event days where I need all the help I can get.


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## Michael in FtW (Dec 10, 2006)

YT2095 said:
			
		

> in it`s simplest form, it will contain a citrate salt a sodium and potassium salt and some glucose, idealy at the correct molarity.


 
Humm ... sounds like a bottle/bag of _Ringer's Lactate_ to me (or Lactated Ringer's Solution if you want to get more formal). Well, when I first started it would have been in a 1 Litre glass bottle- now it comes in plastic bags ....

Basically - if you go to hospital for dehydration they do not give you water ... they give you something to replenish the water + electrolytes (Potassium and Sodium and sometimes glucose). Ringer's Lactate, D5W, or Normal Saline - or a combination by IV. Since we have Gatorade these days- if your are conscious, you'll probably be given some to drink as well as getting the IVs.

Dehydration is usually accompanied by a loss of electrolytes and just replenishing the water without replenishing the salts/minerals lost will result in _hyponatremia_ (water poisoning) which is caused by diluting the electolytes with water and not replacing the electrolytes that have also been lost. And, there is also a general loss of blood sugars which cause _hypoglycemia_ (low blood sugar) that can also lay you out on the deck, too. 

Oh, FWIW - the color of the Gatorade is only indictive of it's flavor ... not it's composition (as per the Gatorade website).


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