Why do you piss copiously when drinking lots of beer?
Answer: Atrial Natriuretic Peptic.

Let's imagine you're a fat old man hungrily guzzling down some pies. Your obvious excitement is likely to increase you heart rate and also your blood pressure. But, uh-oh, because you're a fat lazy sod your heart is about as useful as a chocolate teapot and is unlikely to be able to cope with this unwelcome demand placed upon it. Hence, the heart cannot beat fast enough to cope with the increased volume of fluid going through it and the back pressure on your pulmonary arteries would cause fluid to be forced out into your lungs and you would drown.

A deserving fate some would say for being a fat lazy bastard.

However, you're not going to go down that easily, you still have half a pie left. In response to the increased pressure in your heart's atria (which stretch), the atria release a substance called atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) which is a potent diuretic. Hence you piss lots, in theory lowering your blood pressure sufficiently to continue with your gluttony for long enough to finish your lardy meal.

Alcohol also stimulates the release of ANP, which is why after 2 pints you seem to piss every 20 mins. It has nothing to do with having a bladder like an infant. That's what I tell myself anyway.

Blindmelon, MBChB.
( blindmelon, Fri 18 Mar 2005, 12:30, Reply)