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Increasing blood volume with salt?

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T

thestefanhansen

Member
Jul 19, 2013
54
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18
If I understand this correctly, a higher intake of salt (sodium chloride) makes us retain more water. And retaining more water means larger blood volume, right? If so, then we should be able to increase our blood volume simply by increasing our daily sodium chloride intake.

Is this correct?
 
No this is not correct. Sodium content and blood volume in your body is tightly regulated. If sodium intake increases kidneys excrete proportionally more salt to prevent increase in blood volume. Even if you were able to retain more sodium in your body it would just increase the volume of plasma, the number of red blood cells would not change. Plasma transports only ~1.5% of oxygen present in blood, so increase in its volume would not be beneficial for a freediver.
 
Thanks, but are you sure that sodium doesn't increase blood volume? I'm rather certain I read that it does somewhere. I'm not saying it's beneficial, and I'm not saying it will increase the number of red blood cells. I'm only saying I remember reading that sodium increase blood volume. How sure are you that it doesn't?
 
I did not say that sodium retention does not increase blood volume. Of course it does. However, you asked whether it is possible to increase blood volume by increasing salt intake. In general, the answer is no (or at least not significantly), provided that you are a healthy person and not prone to develop hypertension. There are, however, people who are described as being "salt sensitive". In these people the effect of increased sodium intake is greater.
 
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