Fizzy Drinks??

[Paddy Diver]

I know the general though is to stay away from fizzy drinks but why? I know you have a tendency to float more when your full of fizz but does it also effect the off-gasing process during deco stops? Someone told me this and believed it for a long time but I was wondering if its true.

Ian

[NotDeadYet]

I'd very much doubt it but who knows. The reson they should be avoided, apart from the fact they are just a solution of sugar (or some naff chemical) and acid, is that they tend to be loaded with caffeine which is a diuretic. It dehydrates you, same reason tea and coffee should be avoided. That amount of sugar in one go is bad too because once the initial high is passed it can leave your blood sugar lower than it was. Rots your teeth too, even the sugar free stuff. The amount of dissolved gas is nothing compared to what you absorb on a dive.

The blood pH can have an affect on diving, acid can make the body less tolerant to oxygen and more susceptible to DCI. What you drink can affect this. Carbonated drinks are acidifying. I've heard people say avoid fruit juices because they are acidic too. However the effect on the blood is to make it alkali.

[Hellvet]

Originally Posted by Paddy Diver

I know the general thought is to stay away from fizzy drinks but why?

I've dived after drinking them, the main problem i get is lots and lots of belching! The gas in your stomach expands, and its only escape is one end or the other...!
Also consider the caffeine angle as previously mentioned, this can cause you to get more dehydrated, which counteracts the effects of the fluid you have just drunk, and makes DCI more of a risk...worth considering...
I tend to avoid fizzy drinks now, this was when i first started, then one of my instructors told me about the gas expansion and i found the 2 were definitely connected , so now i drink water, squash or milky drinks like hot chocolate if i want warmth (also soup for warmth).
There are lots of other drinks to keep yourself hydrated, even if you don't particularly like water (which i don't ), so keep drinking but avoid the gassy ones!

[Ian@1904]

I tend to drink this when pre and post diving as I prefer the taste in my mouth. Never noticed any side effects and I have all my own teeth.