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Hyponatremia - Can You Drink Too Much Water?

By: Sul Man

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"It's going to be a hot one today folks, make sure to drink plenty of fluids in order to stay hydrated." Sound familiar? But what exactly are enough fluids and what kind of fluid should you be drinking? Most people would say water - nothing but water, that's all you need to stay hydrated and healthy. But is this the best advice? Did you know that if you exercise strenuously, not just in hot weather but in any kind of weather for extended periods of time, water can become your enemy - you can actually drink too much water? That's right; water can actually be bad for you under certain circumstances.

Let's say you are exercising for 60-90 minutes or more and have not only become dehydrated, but you have also perspired to the point that you feel the waters of the Dead Sea (think extremely salty) running down your face. So here you are - you've put yourself into a situation where not only is your body low on water, but your body has also lost precious electrolytes - mainly sodium and potassium. These minerals are essential in maintaining healthy nerve transmissions throughout the body, and to promote proper muscle functions (remember your heart is a muscle). What do you do? Well, you're very very thirsty so you grab a water bottle and immediately chug down oodles and oodles of water. Now you're feeling better - less thirsty, but what is happening inside of you? Your body attempts, and does a pretty good job during normal conditions, to keep a status quo in balancing fluids and minerals between the cells and the fluid that surrounds the cells. But this is not a normal state; you have depleted the electrolytes in your body through perspiration and have now drunk an exorbitant amount of water. You're out of balance. The fluid surrounding your cells become diluted with excessive water, and the cells themselves have an over concentration of sodium. In an effort for the body to balance itself, the cells will start drawing in water and excrete sodium into the surrounding areas. So, now you have grossly enlarged cells - cells that could in theory burst. As this correction continues, the cells' electrolytes deplete to a point where they can't function properly - you become nauseated, muscles begin to cramp, disorientation sets in, your speech is slurred, and you start to get confused. Sound familiar - it should because you're intoxicated - not on alcohol but on water. And just like alcohol intoxication, in the most severe of cases, you may even die from this condition. It happens.

Several years back a Boston Marathoner died from such a condition known as hyponatremia or water intoxication. In fact, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine (April 2005) showed as much as 13% of the Boston Marathoners developed some form of hyponatremia. You don't have to be a marathoner to develop this condition. A while back (January 2007), I remember reading a story about a woman who died by drinking too much water in a radio station contest. The contest consisted of how much water a contestant could drink without relieving himself/herself. After the contest, the woman went home feeling sick and was later found dead by her mother. The coroner later confirmed her death to be consistent with water intoxication. Does anyone know how to spell the word "lawsuit"? You would think people would know better than to do such a foolish thing. But as children most of us were brought up to think that water is water - it comprises roughly 60% of our body weight, it must be healthy. Remember the old adage, "Drink 8 glasses of water per day?" I must confess that as a serious runner of 25 years, sometimes running as much as 2000 plus miles a year, I never heard of this condition until 5 or 6 years ago. It's not well known, and even today when I tell someone they can die from drinking too much water they are in disbelief that this is possible.

This article is not meant to be a scare tactic editorial. If fact, never be afraid to drink water. Holding back on drinking water, especially while exercising, will cause more harm than good. Just be aware. Hyponatremia can happen to anyone binging on water, but hyponatremia in athletes usually occurs only in extreme situations- during long and intensive workouts when perspiring extensively and taking in lots of water without replenishing your body's electrolytes causes your body to get totally out of balance. Personally, when I ran, I would go the water route if my runs were less than 40-45 minutes - a swig from the water bottle every 15-20 minutes. However, if you want to be safe, and this is what I did in my later years, and do now when I bike, mix a little sports drink into your water each time you go out, maybe a 1 (sports drink) to 3 (water) ratio. That way, you are always replenishing your electrolytes.

So please remember, hydration doesn't just mean filling up on water. It means maintaining your bodily fluids at levels they are accustomed to including the electrolytes needed to keep muscles (again remember, your heart is a muscle) functioning properly. "If you're thirsty you've wanted too long." Do not allow this to happen. Be sensible, exercise, and stay fit. Nothing in life can be better. AND by the way, when you get done your exercise - one of the best things you can do for your heart is to eat a banana. They taste great and are loaded with potassium.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Sul Man is retired and owns several websites. He is a past certified personal trainer and has spent his life maintaining his body through exercise. If you have your own website visit his newest sites EzHealthDirectory.Com and EzBackLink.Com. Once there, submit your URL to our Search Engine Friendly directory. All submissions are human reviewed using our extensive submission guidelines. We offer Featured, Regula

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