Too Much Water Can Be Deadly

CBS News ^ | April 14, 2005

[srm913]

Runners, hikers, bikers, even soldiers on long maneuvers should think twice before reaching for that water bottle: A study confirms that drinking too much can be dangerous, even deadly, for endurance athletes.

Researchers who studied 488 runners in the 2002 Boston Marathon found that 62, or more than one in eight, had a serious fluid and salt imbalance from drinking too much water or sports drinks. Three of them had extreme imbalances.

One 28-year-old woman died after the race from the condition, called hyponatremia, in which the excess water dilutes the salt level in the body too much.

"More is definitely not better when it comes to fluids, but it's a hard message to get across," said Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Endurance athletes have long been warned about getting dehydrated, and many tend to drink more on race day than they do during training.

The study was reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers, led by Dr. Christopher Almond, a cardiologist at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston, tested Boston Marathon runners' blood after the race and collected information on their condition, race time and liquid intake.

They found hyponatremia was most serious in runners who gained substantial weight — 4½ pounds to 11 pounds — from drinking lots of water along the route. Extremely thin runners also were at high risk. Runners who drank sports drinks, which contain very little salt, were not less likely to develop hyponatremia.

Bonci and Almond said a good way to prevent problems is for athletes to weigh themselves before and after training sessions. If they gain significant weight, they should cut back on water intake until they find the right balance — long before race day.

[srm913]

Let me guess. Now there will be legislation in Congress to regulate water consumption.

[MacDorcha]

Is this a plug for Gatorade?

[Finger Monkey]

But of course.

I would also like to point out that water has been killing people for years.

Water is bad.

Water kills.

[refermech]

I only drink when I'm thirsty. Works for me.

[freedumb2003]

I was thinking drowning...

[The Great RJ]

We must ban dihydrogen monoxide (H2O). Not only is it a major greenhouse gas that is warming our environment, but it is fatal if ingested in quantity. Congress needs to act!!

[sargunner]

No wonder they didn't want to give it to Terri S, it might have killed her.

[CougarGA7]

You can offset this if the water is mixed with the proper quantities of barley and hops.

[Diogenesis]

Perhaps if they seriously dehydrate, the runners will all get EUPHORIA to enjoy their renal failure
from march hemoglobinemia and acute tubular necrosis.
They won't all win, but will all be euphoric and happy (or so says cBS).

---

[Conspiracy Guy]

Me too. That keeps me balanced and takes away the desire to run too much.

[Deaf Smith]

Note that this is a Northern Thing.

In MA, they put salt on the roads but not on the food.

I learned to bring my own salt shaker when eating out up there. You can't even ask for it, much less ice tea.

[Old Professer]

Doubtful, the last paragraph says sports drinks were too low in salt to help the condition.

[garyhope]

I loved this when the kid did a paper or science project on "dihydrogen monoxide", otherwise known as "water" and had people hysterical to ban it.

Just goes to show you how insane and knee jerk the "environmentalists" are.

[robertpaulsen]

Heaven forbid they should take a salt tablet.

[Izzy Dunne]

You would completely ignore Hydrogen Hydroxide, I take it ???

It's equally dangerous, yet completely unregulated.

[Redcloak]

the condition, called hyponatremia

Didn't they used to call this "drowning"?

[reagan_fanatic]

Was this ghostwritten by Ted Kennedy?

[OXENinFLA]

Dihydrogen Monoxide FAQ

What are some of the dangers associated with DHMO? Each year, Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions upon millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:

Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage. Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects. DHMO is a major component of acid rain. Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns. Contributes to soil erosion. Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals. Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits. Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes. Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions. Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere. Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.

[CougarGA7]

Exactly, and the running is probably the bigger problem. That's why I run only when chased.

[najida]

It's like all things in excess, too much ain't good. But I do find that most folks I know don't drink enough fluid in a day...like 75% of the patients I deal with are borderline dehydrated. And in the nursing homes, the number really jumps.