|
|
Can An Athlete Drink Too Much Water?
|
by Jack A. Medina, M.A. and
Roy E. Vartabedian, Dr.P.H.
|
July 9, 2007 |
|
|
|
|
"Hyponatremia," a condition caused by drinking too much
water, is uncommon although there have been recorded
cases of ultra-endurance athletes drinking more fluid
than they lose in sweat, resulting in low blood sodium
and ending up with confused thinking, decreasing
coordination and weakness. |
|
|
|
|
Hyponatremia: How It works and Who Is At
Risk
When the athlete sweats, they lose both
electrolytes (sodium and potassium) and
water. If they replace only the water and
not the sodium, the blood sodium level
drops. As a result, the body thinks there is
too much water in the blood and transfers
some water from the blood into other parts
of the body, such as the brain. The brain
begins to swell which results in confused
thinking and lack of coordination.
However, you would have to drink a lot of
water over many hours to drink too much
water (causing hyponatremia). For most
athletes, including endurance athletes,
excessive fluid is passed out of the body
via the bladder and water overload is a
rarity. Not drinking enough water is a
far bigger problem!
The greatest risk for hyponatremia occurs
for the ultra-endurance athlete in mild
weather conditions who take a long time to
complete the run, such as the marathon,
while they drink plenty of water. In the
case of this type of event, use the highest
"Nutripoints" (www.
Nutripoints.com) rated sports drink
and make sure your snacks and/or meals have
sodium. I suggest you consult with a sports
dietitian or nutritionist if you are going
to do ultra-endurance events. |
|
|
|
|
|
Dehydration and Sports Performance
It has been noted by Dr. Lawrence
Armstrong and colleagues at Ball State
University, who assessed the effects of
dehydration on running, that running speed
was reduced by 6 to 7 percent with just a 2%
decrease in body weight from fluid loss.
Even a 1 percent reduction in body weight,
because of dehydration, added an extra 17
seconds to a 1,500-meter run time. For the
serious athlete, regardless of the sport,
that could mean the difference between
winning and a huge disappointment. This
means that even low levels of dehydration
can negatively affect performance in most
competitions, whether individual or team. |
|
|
|
|
|
How To Check Your Water Level
Weigh yourself before and after training
or competition (minimal or no clothing).
Even a bathroom scale, although they are not
usually accurate in displaying your body
weight, will give you a reasonable idea of
your total weight loss.
You should be drinking enough fluids to
replace sweat loss. Whatever the weight lost
during training or sport, it needs to be
replaced immediately by fluids, even if you
aren't thirsty. Thirst is not an indicator
of how much water you need. If you see a
difference in weight of more than 1 kilogram
(2.2 pounds) you are dehydrated and may even
be dehydrated before you start training or
competition. Many athletes are dehydrated
before they even start exercise.
Can a lack of fluid, primarily water,
negatively effect sports performance?
Absolutely!
Can you drink too much water? It isn't
likely unless you are a ultra-endurance
athlete. |
|
|
|
|
|
A Guide To Fluid Levels
A simple guide to your fluid level is the
color of your urine. If it is pale yellow or
clear you are, as a general rule, well
hydrated. If it is dark orange, you need
fluids IMMEDIATELY! If you can't remember
the last time you had to urinate, you
DESPERATELY need fluids.
Even though this is a guide to
dehydration it is not always a good
indicator because after high sweat losses
you can still produce clear urine, even when
you are actually dehydrated. This is because
you have sweated a lot during the exercise
and have lost some sodium too. Only when you
have replaced the sodium are you fully
re-hydrated. Most foods we eat have a lot
sodium so if you are eating regularly,
especially soon after finishing your
activity, this won't be a problem. |
|
|
|
|
Recommendation: Try drinking 10-17 ounces (about
2 glasses) in the 15 minutes before exercise. Then drink
5-8 ounces every 15 minutes during exercise. The idea is
to keep a reasonable volume of fluid in your stomach
since this improves the rate the fluid empties from the
stomach into the intestines and into your blood. You
need to get this balance right because large amounts of
volume may increase gastrointestinal distress which can
lead to a "stitch."
Use this guide this summer to keep your hydration "in
balance"!
Check out our
Complete List of Books for more details this
and other health and fitness topics.
Yours for Fitness and Health,
Jack A. Medina, M.A.
Roy E. Vartabedian, Dr.P.H.
Designs for Fitness and Wellness
phone: 541-474-2454 or 1-866-204-8786 Toll Free
Order Line
|
|
|
