On Monday evening, Cory Booker, a Democratic senator for New Jersey, took the floor to denounce the harm he believes Donald Trump and his administration have inflicted on the United States. “Our country is in crisis,” he said, decrying the economic chaos, mass layoffs and tyrannical acts of the administration’s first 71 days. He stopped speaking 25 hours and five minutes later, making it the longest Senate speech in history.
Many praised Booker for the rousing political act. Some were also impressed by a particular physical feat: namely, he seemingly didn’t pee once the whole time. (A rep for Booker confirmed to TMZ that he did not wear a diaper during his speech.)
Afterwards, Booker told reporters that he prepared for the speech by fasting for days and intentionally dehydrating himself.
It’s not a good thing
Dr Rena Malik
“I think I stopped eating on Friday and then stopped drinking the night before I started on Monday,” Booker said, according to tweets from CNN’s chief congressional correspondent, Manu Raju. “It had its benefits and it really had its downsides.”
Booker’s speech was a feat of stamina and determination. According to urologists, his no-pee marathon was also deeply unadvisable.
“I think [Booker] needs to see a urologist,” says Dr Rena Malik, urologist and pelvic surgeon. “He probably has some real bladder dysfunction. That’s not normal. A normal person can’t do that.”
Most people pee on average about seven to eight times a day. And healthy adults typically produce about 800 to 2,000ml – or 0.8 to 2 liters – of urine a day, says Dr Seth D Cohen, a urologist at the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health.
Holding one’s pee for too long can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) as well as bladder and kidney damage. “Eventually, the body will contract the bladder involuntarily to empty its contents,” says Cohen. “This is called incontinence.”
When urine sits in the bladder for too long (say, about 25 hours and five minutes), it is basically “food for bacteria”, Malik says. Contrary to popular belief, urine is not sterile, and if not flushed out, it can cause UTIs.
Experts also expressed concern over Booker’s decision to dehydrate himself.
“Dehydration can have serious consequences, particularly for older adults,” says Dr Bashir Al Hussein Al Awamlh, a urologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian. He adds that risks include fatigue, muscle cramps and dizziness when standing up.
Indeed, Booker said after his speech that he occasionally took small sips of water “to stop my muscles from cramping”.
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Dehydration is “not recommended”, says Al Hussein Al Awamlh. While some people may limit their fluid intake when they will not have easy bathroom access, “it’s more effective to stay hydrated overall and avoid caffeine and alcohol, which act as diuretics and can increase the urge to urinate”.
Besides, dehydrating yourself doesn’t prevent your body from producing urine. “You’re still processing bodily fluids,” says Malik. Additionally, when one is dehydrated, urine typically becomes more concentrated, and this highly concentrated urine can irritate the bladder lining, Malik says.
Booker’s speech was not a filibuster – a procedure by which senators attempt to delay or block a vote by speaking indefinitely. During a filibuster, senators can’t sit down or go to the bathroom, as that would be yielding the floor. (“These rules are not medically safe and need to be evaluated by a medical doctor,” Malik says.)
While not a filibuster, it was a piece of political theater, and Booker followed most filibuster rules, saying he rose with the “intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able”.
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As he neared the end of his speech, Booker said he would be leaving to “deal with some of the biological urgencies I’m feeling”.
Democrats praised Booker for his speech. “Do you know how proud America is of you?” the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, asked Booker.
Urologists were less delighted by the gesture.
“While it’s possible to delay urination with careful planning, doing so repeatedly – or for symbolic reasons – can send the wrong message about listening to your body’s needs,” says Dr Jason Kim, associate professor of urology at Stony Brook Medicine.
People should not aspire to go 25 hours without peeing, says Malik. “It’s not a good thing,” she said, reiterating: “Cory Booker needs a urologist.”
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