Water: Don’t overdo it
Proper hydration is always a challenge for athletes who are involved in prolonged exercise, but did you know you can drink to much water? Most often, dehydration is the concern of athletes and coaches and it is often the culprit in an athlete’s inability to stay fit during competition. However, top performance can be lost when the pendulum swings the other way and an athlete actually drinks to much water and experiences the serious effects of hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, is a fluidelectrolyte disorder that can occur when the sodium level in your blood drops below normal. It is caused by a combination of excessive drinking and large sweatsodium losses. Blood sodium between 136 to 142 mEg/L is normal and any measurement below 136 mEq/L is considered hyponatremic. A normal blood sodium level is critical for the body to function because sodium plays a key role in body-fluid balance and in the conduction of electrical impulses along nerves and across cardiac and skeletal muscle.
Hyponatremia is dangerous because it can disrupt the fluid balance across the blood-brain barrier which can result in a rapid influx of water into the brain. When this happens the brain can swell and other severe neurological responses such as headache, confusion, seizure, and coma can occur. If the sodium level is not brought back to a normal range, death can occur. The faster and lower the blood sodium falls, the greater the risk of fatality.
In athletes, hyponatremia is usually caused by the combination of excessive drinking, sodium loss in sweat, and the kidneys’ limited capacity to excrete water. Most adults can drink 2 quarts of fluid or more an hour, but the most we can lose in urine is about 1 quart an hour. Athletes should drink fluids that contain electrolytes such as those found in sports drinks if they have consumed an excessive amount of water prior to competition or prolonged exercise. Everyone is different and will need a different hydration plan, but most athletes should drink 2 to 3 cups of fluid 2 to 3 hours before exercise and drink 5 to 10 ounces about a ½ hour before exercise.
A bloated stomach, puffy fingers and ankles, a bad headache, and confusion are warning signs that you have consumed an excessive amount of water. You may also weigh more after practice than you did before practice. Dehydration should be avoided by following a fluid replacement plan, but you must make sure you find a good balance so you don't overdo it.
Matt Tucker, MD
Columbus, Georgia
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| Title |
Water: Don't overdo it. |
| Author |
Tucker, Matt |
| Source |
Hughston health alert (Columbus, Ga.) |
| Publisher |
Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation |
| Date |
Summer 2007 |
| Vol(iss) |
19(3) |
| SIRC ID # |
S-1079906 |
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