GOMAD Stones

[Marotta]

Am I the only one thats dreadfully afraid of calcium stones as a result of GOMAD?

I've been drinking quite a bit of water as well, and I only do GOMAD training days (mon-wed-fri, it's budget reasons, 1 gallon is $5 here, and I'm a student) but I'm still scared that I'm gonna get calcium stones, and from what I've heard I don't want those.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

Yes, you are.

[Dastardly]

If you are worried ask your doctor.

But remember that as someone who is demanding adaptation from your body, you need more of stuff than recommended for sedentary folks.

You need a lot of calcium for it to become harmful. And even if you did, it would be a very slow process of accumulation, you are not going to get really ill all of a sudden.

After a few weeks on GOMAD why not get a blood test from your doctor to check calcium, cholesterol and that sort of thing? Would be good to find out what, if any effects it had?

[Marotta]

So it would take a long time to get stones, and 3-4 months of GOMAD, while a lot of milk, isn't long enough for me to develop them?

[PVC]

So it would take a long time to get stones, and 3-4 months of GOMAD, while a lot of milk, isn't long enough for me to develop them?

I get the feeling that you know next to nothing about kidney stones. The reason I get this feeling is because if you DID know anything about them, other than the fact that they're composed of calcium crystals, then you wouldn't be asking this question.

Here's a very informative page about kidney stones: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseas.../stonesadults/

And here are the juicy bits that I picked out just for you:

Doctors do not always know what causes a stone to form. While certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are susceptible, scientists do not believe that eating any specific food causes stones to form in people who are not susceptible.

In the past, people who form calcium stones were told to avoid dairy products and other foods with high calcium content. Recent studies have shown that foods high in calcium, including dairy products, may help prevent calcium stones.

And from wikipedia:

Common sense has long held that consumption of too much calcium could promote the development of calcium kidney stones. However, current evidence suggests that the consumption of low-calcium diets is actually associated with a higher overall risk for the development of kidney stones.

Knowledge is power. Next time, do some research before you freak out about things.

[Evan]

Am I the only one thats ...

Yes

[Marotta]

I get the feeling that you know next to nothing about kidney stones. The reason I get this feeling is because if you DID know anything about them, other than the fact that they're composed of calcium crystals, then you wouldn't be asking this question.

Here's a very informative page about kidney stones: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseas.../stonesadults/
Knowledge is power. Next time, do some research before you freak out about things.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know much about them, and I wasn't so much freaked out as it was just always in the back of my mind, but thanks for clearing it all up

[Guido]

I get the feeling that you know next to nothing about kidney stones. The reason I get this feeling is because if you DID know anything about them, other than the fact that they're composed of calcium crystals, then you wouldn't be asking this question.

Here's a very informative page about kidney stones: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseas.../stonesadults/

And here are the juicy bits that I picked out just for you:





And from wikipedia:


Knowledge is power. Next time, do some research before you freak out about things.

Just to add some observational anecdotal evidence for this, I've known 3 people that have had kidney stones. Interestingly, all of them were non milk-drinkers and ate very little dairy. One of them had virtually no dairy in her diet (nor calcium from any source) and got a kidney stone at the age of 25. Since her main diet consisted of soft drinks and junk food I suspect she was in fact highly calcium deficient.

[vmarwin]

A few points:

Youre not going to overdose on calcium doing GOM every other D. 1 gallon of milk contains approx 4.9g of calcium. 1 cup of milk is defined as a serving (ha) and has 29% of the USRDA of calcium based on a 2000 kcal (ha) diet. So if you're a "normal" sit on your ass lazy dude who just needs 2000kcal to maintain life that GOM has 464% of your daily calcium. If you get other dietary calcium/take TUMS etc you can develop hypercalcemia or milk alkalai syndrome and all of its associated symptoms: stones, moans, bones and groans...look it up. But thats not you is it? You're a high-speed death machine who wants to tear 45lb plates in half, right? If you require 6000kcal/day that USRDA number goes out the window. Furthermore you're only drinking a GOM every other day for budget reasons. Unless you're getting more calcium from supplements or taking a bunch of antacids regularly, you're probably not in danger of hypercalcemia.

Also muscles need calcium to contract and if youre putting on more muscle and contracting them often, you require a lot more calcium than the rest of the population.

Also, your body has a great system for maintaining optimum serum calcium levels. Without getting into the physiology of it, if you don't need more calcium in your blood stream, you will poop out a lot of that calcium you are drinking.

Also GOMAD is not meant to be a permanent practice. Much like many of the dietary practices on this board and 70s big, it is a means to an end that is intended to be temporary. It turns skinny kids into full sized adults.

DISCLAMER: I am not a nutritionist or doctor. This is not medical advice and if you are concerned about your diet/calcium status you should contact your doctor for professional advice and tests.

Comment on disclaimer: I notice that you are in Canada, better make an appointment now so that you can see your doctor sometime before 2017.