Why the fuck do some coaches restrict sodium??

[Gunsmith]

I've seen a hand full of plans (men and women) over the last month form a couple different coaches (pretty popular in our area ,one is a IFBBpro) and they have their clients keeping the dietary Sodium restricted to basically just what if natural in the foods. This is a prep diet weeks out from a show , speak week or anything.

I've never worked with a coach that wanted you to cut back on sodium and have heard a few that prefer to increase it significantly.

Is there any legitimate reason for reducing sodium?? Seems to me that it would make tracking weight loss hard dueto the body wanting to hold on to what it can

 

[alfresco]

Just some interesting anecdotes that kinda relates to your question. Can't answer
your specifics as I am not knowledgeable enough; have never competed or have
been peeled.

My Dad served in Korea and was given salt pills every days. I know, I know, totally
different set of circumstances but it ties in nicely I think in a round about way to what
I am going to say next.

My Dad went on to play semi-pro baseball (pitcher) and later coached and managed
a few baseball teams. Now remember this . . . this was 50 years ago . . . I remember
distinctly the players being told not to drink water during the game because it was
thought to cause cramps. Can you believe this? That was actually the thinking back
in the day. Of course that did not permit some of them from sneaking a sip now and
again.

My my how things have changed.

Now we know that water is essential as is salt . . . within reason.

You get to pick the the when and where. And good luck getting a definitive answer.

 

[KillerStack]

Just some interesting anecdotes that kinda relates to your question. Can't answer
your specifics as I am not knowledgeable enough; have never competed or have
been peeled.

My Dad served in Korea and was given salt pills every days. I know, I know, totally
different set of circumstances but it ties in nicely I think in a round about way to what
I am going to say next.

My Dad went on to play semi-pro baseball (pitcher) and later coached and managed
a few baseball teams. Now remember this . . . this was 50 years ago . . . I remember
distinctly the players being told not to drink water during the game because it was
thought to cause cramps. Can you believe this? That was actually the thinking back
in the day. Of course that did not permit some of them from sneaking a sip now and
again.

My my how things have changed.

Now we know that water is essential as is salt . . . within reason.

You get to pick the the when and where. And good luck getting a definitive answer.

Well, I think drinking plain water can dilute your electrolytes so it might cause cramps that way. So if athletes drink alot they add sodium via electrolyte drinks. In certain situations drinking tons of water without enough sodium can prove lethal, such as in the case of MDMA deaths at raves or clubs dancing - the brain swells and kills you.

Efferding is big on adding sodium tabs in all his water.

 

[Cito33189]

Because there coach cut there sodium so they follow what they have been told. Honestly ifbb pro or not. There are a very select few coaches who study biology chemistry anatomy. They don’t know what the fuck they are doing. They turned pro and then follow what there coach told them.

 

[Cito33189]

Half these coaches don’t even know what the fuck they are doing. There’s a girl prepping in my gym I was like dam your face is really sucked in how many weeks out are you. She’s like 6 I’m like dam really? How many carbs are you eating she goes I don’t know my coach doesn’t really count that stuff. I’m like who’s your coach said a name I never heard of and goes they are an ifbb pro. Right on so impressive. Unless your ifbb coach is like John meadows I don’t give a shit

 

[KillerStack]

I saw Chris Aceto say that yes, sometimes he does crazy (to me) water restriction, it depends. Anyone know what he might do with sodium?

Few on these forums, the top coaches, advocate sodium restriction in public and there is a general distaste for diuretics too. Like if they are done at all they say they do a half tab of diazide or something. But then you still hear some of these doing the more old school things like 10 days of aldactone with a loop diuretic after the carb load.
Bleu Taylor told the story of how he was secretly prepping some guy who George Farah thought he was prepping. Farah gives the guy a Lasix at a show but Bleu says to throw it in the trash. Farah things the guy took the Lasix and says, "see, this is how good you look when your coach knows what he's doing". I'm sure George would say he's against diuretics pretty much if asked on camera or whatever. Same with Chad or whoever, I suspect.

 

[qbkilla]

Well, I think drinking plain water can dilute your electrolytes so it might cause cramps that way. So if athletes drink alot they add sodium via electrolyte drinks. In certain situations drinking tons of water without enough sodium can prove lethal, such as in the case of MDMA deaths at raves or clubs dancing - the brain swells and kills you.

Efferding is big on adding sodium tabs in all his water.

I have had low sodium on bloods and this is what the doc said, cut back water and drink Gatorade. But wouldn't adding salt to foods serve the same purpose?

 

[Gunsmith]

I have had low sodium on bloods and this is what the doc said, cut back water and drink Gatorade. But wouldn't adding salt to foods serve the same purpose?

I've found that drinking a few cans of V8 a day when I'm working in excessive heat works way way better than Gatorade or Pedialyte for replacing essential minerals and electrolytes when I'm having to drink 2-3 gallon a day.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

The coach restricts the sodium so when they tell the client to do a cheat meal (and the client finally eats enough sodium), the client looks full and hard the next day and starts to believe the coach is a friggin magician/genius.

Sorry to give away the trade secrets here

 

[madg]

The coach restricts the sodium so when they tell the client to do a cheat meal (and the client finally eats enough sodium), the client looks full and hard the next day and starts to believe the coach is a friggin magician/genius.

Sorry to give away the trade secrets here

Shhhh

There goes my prep buiseness

 

[showstopper83]

Potassium/sodium control the water pump balance intracellularly and subQ. 4:1 potassium to sodium is what I'm told is ideal. Salt is necessary, too much and you bloat, too little and you're flat. More potassium and the water is held cellularly.

That's about the extent of the scientific explanation i can provide, but this is info from not only an iffb pro, but one who is a doctor, operates a hrt clinic and has a PhD in pharmacology.

Take it for what it's worth.