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The question about e'lytes formulated for alkaline stomachs intrigued me
enough to voluntarily pull out my biochem text from grad school (yes, I know,
I'm a sick puppy!)...Susan and Heidi--could the reasoning behind that statement
have anything to do with (H+-K+)-ATPase activity in the parietal cells?
Translation for the fortunate souls who haven't had to take biochem:
one of the enzymes that are involved in the production of stomach
acid. Since a potassium ion is needed to replace the H+ in the
cell when acid is secreted--is it possible that in a potassium-deficient
situation like an endurance ride that acid secretion would slow down? My
guess here is that the activity of that enzyme would be slowed by a lack of
available potassium, and thus stomach pH would increase above 0.8, thus creating
an alkaline condition, alkaline being defined here as a greater than normal pH
in the stomach, as opposed to a pH>7, which we normally consider
alkaline.
Yes, I know...go find something constructive to do before my brain
self-destructs! =)
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