hyponatremi

Cindyk4919

I am concerned about the emphasis on drinking large quantities of water. Please research hyponatremia. It appears that our society has been over focusing on drinking water and it has become quite dangerous. I listened to a podcast recently that discussed this and we should just all be aware of the very real dangers of consuming too much water during the day.
Google hyponatremia. Or athletes dying from drinking too much water.
I know that many of our challenges are pushing water consumption and we might be encouraging something dangerous.

yirara

As someone who has been suffering under low salt for ages I can only emphasis this. When salt gets really low I feel dizzy, confused, can't concentrate, just stare ahead of me with a waxy complexion, don't move, tunnel vision, weakness. And I get the munchies which I interpreted for years as needing sugar. Only it never worked. Instead the problems vanished after dinner in the evening.

deannalfisher

while i understand your concerns - hyponatrimia isn't likely going to be caused by just increasing water intake - atheltes who die from it (and i'm a triathlete so i track it) - tend to drink several gallons during the course of the race with no salt intake - or the woman in california who died from it drank something like 3 gallons in a day

the main concern with the population is low sodium intake, which can cause issues (research indicates that too low sodium is as bad, if not worse, than too much)

CSARdiver

deannalfisher wrote: »

while i understand your concerns - hyponatrimia isn't likely going to be caused by just increasing water intake - atheltes who die from it (and i'm a triathlete so i track it) - tend to drink several gallons during the course of the race with no salt intake - or the woman in california who died from it drank something like 3 gallons in a day

the main concern with the population is low sodium intake, which can cause issues (research indicates that too low sodium is as bad, if not worse, than too much)

Bingo! Many races now hand out sports drinks or salt tablets if the heat/humidity index is in the warning zones.

It's a concern, but in Western societies the population is trended towards dehydration, so you can choose your risk factor.

deannalfisher

CSARdiver wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

while i understand your concerns - hyponatrimia isn't likely going to be caused by just increasing water intake - atheltes who die from it (and i'm a triathlete so i track it) - tend to drink several gallons during the course of the race with no salt intake - or the woman in california who died from it drank something like 3 gallons in a day

the main concern with the population is low sodium intake, which can cause issues (research indicates that too low sodium is as bad, if not worse, than too much)

Bingo! Many races now hand out sports drinks or salt tablets if the heat/humidity index is in the warning zones.

It's a concern, but in Western societies the population is trended towards dehydration, so you can choose your risk factor.

all ironmen races have salt (BASE salt) on the course at strategic points (you normally hit them 4 times during the course of the run)

JBanx256

A couple weeks ago we had a guy who knew his probation officer was gonna make him do a drug test (guy had an ankle monitor on and had a couple outstanding warrants too, so...yeah...winner). So he forced himself to chug God-knows-how-much water before the PO meeting. His electrolytes got all out of whack and his brain started swelling, causing seizures and unconsciousness. Dude had to be airlifted to another medical center that was better equipped to treat him. HOWEVER, that's not exactly a common occurrence and even the EMT's who responded to the scene assumed he had OD'd when we first arrived on scene.

jennifer_417

I don't think it's going to become a nationwide epidemic any time soon, but it is a good thing to be aware of!

jesspen91

Yeah I think the recommendations are silly. There is variation in how much your body processes water based on weight, climate, diet etc.

People should not be squemish and just judge by their pee whether they are hydrated. Is your pee light? You're hydrated enough. Is your pee dark? Drink some water. It's a simple as that.

snickerscharlie

jesspen91 wrote: »

Yeah I think the recommendations are silly. There is variation in how much your body processes water based on weight, climate, diet etc.

People should not be squemish and just judge by their pee whether they are hydrated. Is your pee light? You're hydrated enough. Is your pee dark? Drink some water. It's a simple as that.

The Pee Chart:

Fflpnari

If you are worried speak with your doctor, but mostly likely Unless you have DI or SIADH you are ok to drink when your thirsty. You don't need to chug water, but drink enough to keep your urine light yellow. As always speak to your doctor for any health concerns