Last year’s NephJC on Jen Titze’s study on simulated Mars missions and sodium handling really baked my noodle.
Titze’s arm of research breaks the foundational laws of body fluids. Partly to help myself grasp the information, and partly to help spread this paradigm shifting research I created a 1 hour lecture on his work. I have given the lecture a few times, but I’m still not sure I have it right. I am offering the lecture to the internet to solicit comments. What did I get wrong? What is unclear? And I would like to add my outrage that when I went to the update in fluids and electrolytes pre-course that the ASN offered at Kidney Week this entire angle of sodium was completely ignored, except for one derogatory, snide comment. The legends of sodium, fiddling while their Rome burns .
One thing I am still having trouble with is the increased urine output at the highest sodium intakes. I get that free water clearance generates solute free water and this dilutes total body sodium decreasing the need to drink but this free water is only a hypothetical construct, it is not actually available to increase urine output. Right?
Here is the lecture: