Peeing clear for the first time

[Doyleyburger]

Sorry about the crude title but I'm on a bit of a caffeine detox this week (well since Friday anyway)
I've cut my caffeine down to a cup of tea in the morning and then maybe another at some point throughout the day. A bit of a shock to the system as I generally will drink one after the other if I'm at home.
Since Friday then, iv been drinking over 2 litres of water throughout the day, plus whatever I drink whilst on the bike. Apart from a slight headache, which I'm assuming is the caffeine withdrawals, I feel much healthier and fresher on the bike. Not sure how long I can keep this up for mind but I'm definitely feeling a slight benefit already. If anything I'm fitter by the amount of time I'm spending going up and down the bloody stairs to the bathroom

 

[Smurfy]

I've heard it said that everyone should pee clear at least once a day. Apparently it means your system has had a good flushing through.

Anyone know if this is medicine or myth?

 

[raleighnut]

Pee should always be clear, do you mean colourless.

 

[Doyleyburger]

Pee should always be clear, do you mean colourless.

That's the one

 

[winjim]

Urine should be clear, but not necessarily colourless. Pale straw coloured is the guide. The whole detox / flushing / 2 litres of water thing is a load of old rubbish but if it makes you feel better then it's not going to do you any harm. Drinking too much water would put you at risk of hyponatraemia but you need to drink loads for that to happen.

 

[raleighnut]

 

[martint235]

Wot? No coffee?? ***shudders and goes away to make his 5th cup of coffee of the day. It is nearly 9am***

 

[Joffey]

You aren't a proper cyclist unless you drink lots of high strength coffee at least 20 times per day ;-)

 

[Doyleyburger]

You aren't a proper cyclist unless you drink lots of high strength coffee at least 20 times per day ;-)

Yeah and that's usually how I roll !
It was pointed out to me by swmbo that I don't drink enough water. I'll give it a couple weeks before i decide whether or not I'll keep it up to this extent but I definitely think I'll be upping my water intake, even if it's only by a litre rather than 2

 

[Doyleyburger]

God know what the wife will think when she she's me peeing with my phone next to it checking my colour chart

 

[Citius]

It was pointed out to me by swmbo that I don't drink enough water

Fluid intake is the issue - not 'water' intake, per se. The majority of fluids we drink (tea, coffee, beer, etc) contain mostly water anyway. Your kidneys and liver decide which elements to process or dispose of...

 

[winjim]

Fluid intake is the issue - not 'water' intake, per se. The majority of fluids we drink (tea, coffee, beer, etc) contain mostly water anyway. Your kidneys and liver decide which elements to process or dispose of...

Although the above drinks also contain caffeine and alcohol which are diuretics, so maybe don't rely on them for your entire fluid intake. Also, some food eg fruit and veg, contains a lot of fluid so that also contributes.

 

[martint235]

Although the above drinks also contain caffeine and alcohol which are diuretics, so maybe don't rely on them for your entire fluid intake. Also, some food eg fruit and veg, contains a lot of fluid so that also contributes.

My understanding of a diuretic though is that you lose more than you take in but it's based on the substance not the drink. So in simple terms (completely made up numbers) if you drink 1 litre of coffee with 10ml of caffeine in it you will lose at least 10ml of it plus a bit more plus what your body feels is excess fluid. Not as is commonly perceived you will lose more than 1 litre because it's coffee.

 

[User6179]

I stopped drinking anything with caffeine in it for over a year, the one thing I noticed was the need to pee during the night , on average every 2 hours , am now back on caffeine and I can now go 7 hours without getting up to use the toilet , now this might just be a coincidence and there might of been another cause but I am sticking with the caffeine anyway as decaffeinated tea/coffee is honking .

 

[winjim]

My understanding of a diuretic though is that you lose more than you take in but it's based on the substance not the drink. So in simple terms (completely made up numbers) if you drink 1 litre of coffee with 10ml of caffeine in it you will lose at least 10ml of it plus a bit more plus what your body feels is excess fluid. Not as is commonly perceived you will lose more than 1 litre because it's coffee.

It will depend on the amount ingested and your own metabolism. Regular coffee drinkers can become pretty tolerant to caffeine. So yeah, a litre of weak coffee is probably OK, but if your fluid intake consists mainly of double espressos then spare a thought for your kidneys and have a glass of water once in a while.