Water--not just for bathing anymore!

shorerider

We all know water is vital for life but yesterday, I heard a statistic that drove home how important it is especially when exercising, particularly during long distance events or when exercising for over an hour or more.

For every 5% of your body fluid lost while exercising (through sweat, etc.), you lose 20% of your body's efficiency!

5% lose of fluids = 20% of efficiency!

Yet, drinking too much water can also be very dangerous--so how to know how much to drink?

Everything I can find seems to point to knowing your body--know when you're thirsty, know how you feel at different stages, and weigh before and after work-outs so you can get an idea of how much you are drinking.

Here's some info I pulled off various sites (AARP, webmd.com, Mayo Clinic, etc)

---

During physical activity the body loses water primarily through sweat, even in cold weather or in water. The body has several mechanisms to protect itself from the negative effects of dehydration, but thirst does not occur until the person is already dehydrated!

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) points out that as we get older, drinking enough water is especially important because with age our body is less able to regulate our temperature, putting us at increased risk of heat-related illness. Age also affects our ability to stay hydrated during exercise and our ability to recognize when we need more water.

A key to successful workouts is keeping well hydrated before, during and after exercise. The length of your workouts, heat, humidity and the amount you sweat are all major considerations for keeping your body in proper fluid balance.
Hydration Tips

* Start hydrating early by drinking 1-2 cups of water in the morning
* Keep a water bottle with you all day long
* Drink before you get thirsty
* Drink 1-2 cups of fluid 30 minutes before exercise
* Drink ½ - 1 cup of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise
* Replenish fluids lost (2 ½ cups for every pound lost during exercise)
* Keep drinking even after your thirst is quenched

Water vs. Sport Drinks

For exercise lasting under 45 minutes, water is your best choice. For the recreational athlete who may exercise 30-40 minutes per session, water is sufficient for hydration:

* Water is easily absorbed
* Water is the best choice to drink before moderate length exercise
* Water is readily available and less expensive than sport drinks

Research suggests that for workouts consisting of at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise or high-intensity workouts of any duration – running, aerobics, biking and intense weight training – a sports drink may be beneficial in delaying muscle fatigue by providing your body with additional energy:

* Sport drinks will replenish fluids while containing a small amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes
* A steady source of carbohydrates during prolonged exercise fights off fatigue and enhances performance by fueling the muscles
* Studies show that a solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates may be absorbed more quickly and helps to retain fluids consumed after prolonged intense exercise
* The taste of a good sport drink may encourage you to keep drinking

Over-hydration

Drinking too much water can cause problems such as water intoxication and, although this is not something most of us have to worry about, it does happen among many exercisers and should be something to be aware of. As the water content of the blood increases, the salt content is diluted; consequently, the amount of salt available to body tissues decreases, which can lead to problems with brain, heart and muscle function.

Symptoms include:

* Dizziness
* Nausea
* Apathy
* Confusion

These symptoms can also be attributed to dehydration, so it is important to know your body and know how much you are drinking.

Remember that you can get your daily water requirements from sources other than pure water. Your cup of tea counts! Water is the main ingredient in all drinks – carbonated drinks, fruit juices and even coffee. All these contribute to your daily fluid intake. Fruit and vegetables also have high water content, so proper nutrition is just as important.
========================================================================

http://www.DefeatDiabetes.org

Too Much Water During Exercise Riskier Than Dehydration
posted April, 21, 2005

A new study reports that athletes who drink too much water are at risk of diluting the sodium content of their blood, causing hyponatremia and putting them at risk for seizures, coma and death.

After years of telling athletes to drink as much liquid as possible to avoid dehydration, some doctors are now saying that drinking too much during intense exercise poses a far greater health risk.

An increasing number of athletes -- marathon runners, triathletes and even hikers -- are severely diluting their blood by drinking too much water or too many sports drinks, with some falling gravely ill and even dying, the doctors say.

New research on runners in the Boston Marathon confirms the problem and shows just how serious it is. The research, involved 488 runners who participated in the 2002 marathon. The runners gave blood samples before and after the race. While most were fine, 13 percent -- or 62 of them -- drank so much that they had hyponatremia, or abnormally low blood sodium levels. Three had levels so low that they were in danger of dying.

The runners who developed the problem tended to be slower, taking more than four hours to finish the course. That gave them plenty of time to drink copious amounts of liquid. And drink they did -- an average of three liters, or about 13 cups of water or a sports drink -- so much that they actually gained weight during the race.

As more slow runners entered long races, doctors began seeing athletes stumbling into medical tents, nauseated, groggy, barely coherent and with their blood severely diluted. Some died on the spot or in the hospital.

In 2003, USA Track & Field, the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking, changed its guidelines to warn against excessive intake of liquids.

Marathon doctors say the new study offers the first documentation of the problem.

"Before this study we suspected there was a problem," said Dr. Marvin Adner, the medical director of the Boston Marathon, which is Monday. "But this proves it."

Hyponatremia is entirely preventable, Adner and others said. During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete excess water. But as people keep drinking, the extra water moves into their cells, including brain cells. The engorged brain cells, with no room to expand, press against the skull and can compress the brain stem, which controls vital functions like breathing. The result can be fatal.

But the marathon runners were simply following what has long been conventional advice: avoid dehydration at all costs.

Doctors and sports drink companies "made dehydration a medical illness that was to be feared," said Dr. Tim Noakes, a hyponatremia expert at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

"Everyone becomes dehydrated when they race," Noakes said. "But I have not found one death in an athlete from dehydration in a competitive race in the whole history of running. Not one. Not even a case of illness."

On the other hand, he said, he knows of people who have become sick and died from drinking too much.

Hyponatremia can be treated, Noakes said. A small volume of a highly concentrated salt solution is given intravenously and can save a patient's life by pulling water out of swollen brain cells.

However, he said, doctors and emergency workers often assume the problem is dehydration and give intravenous fluids instead, sometimes killing the patient. Noakes and others advise testing the salt concentration of a sick athlete's blood before starting treatment.

For their part, runners can estimate how much they should drink by weighing themselves before and after long training runs to see how much they lose -- and thus how much water they should replace.

Adner said athletes also should be careful when a race is over. He advised runners to wait until they start to urinate before drinking any more fluids.

The paper's lead author, Dr. Christopher S.D. Almond, a cardiology fellow at Children's Hospital, said he had first heard of hyponatremia in 2001 when a cyclist drank so much on a ride from New York to Boston that she had a seizure. She eventually recovered.

Until recent years, the condition was all but unheard of because endurance events like marathons and triathlons were populated almost entirely by fast athletes who did not have time to drink too much.

In a letter, also published today in the journal, doctors describe 14 runners in the 2003 London Marathon with hyponatremia who waited more than four hours on average before going to a hospital. Some were lucid after the race, but none remembered completing it.

======================================================================

Water: How much should you drink every day?

How much water should you drink each day? A simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.

Though no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.
Health benefits of water
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Functions of water in the body Functions of water in the body

Water is your body's principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.
How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

Several approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.

* Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.
* Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though the approach isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
* Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Even apart from the above approaches, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.
Factors that influence water needs

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

*

Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, the duration of your exercise and the type of activity you're engaged in.

During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Also, continue to replace fluids after you're finished exercising.
* Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
* Illnesses or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or CeraLyte. Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
* Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Beyond the tap: Other sources of water

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes from water and beverages of all kinds.

For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent to 100 percent water by weight. Beverages such as milk and juice also are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is one of your best bets because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.
Staying safely hydrated

It's generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time you become thirsty, it's possible to already be slightly dehydrated. Further, be aware that as you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. Excessive thirst and increased urination can be signs of a more serious medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you experience either.

To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy adult can consider the following:

* Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.
* Hydrate before, during and after exercise.
* Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings.

If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often.

Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet.

If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's best for you.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

shorerider

We all know water is vital for life but yesterday, I heard a statistic that drove home how important it is especially when exercising, particularly during long distance events or when exercising for over an hour or more.

For every 5% of your body fluid lost while exercising (through sweat, etc.), you lose 20% of your body's efficiency!

5% lose of fluids = 20% of efficiency!

Yet, drinking too much water can also be very dangerous--so how to know how much to drink?

Everything I can find seems to point to knowing your body--know when you're thirsty, know how you feel at different stages, and weigh before and after work-outs so you can get an idea of how much you are drinking.

Here's some info I pulled off various sites (AARP, webmd.com, Mayo Clinic, etc)

---

During physical activity the body loses water primarily through sweat, even in cold weather or in water. The body has several mechanisms to protect itself from the negative effects of dehydration, but thirst does not occur until the person is already dehydrated!

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) points out that as we get older, drinking enough water is especially important because with age our body is less able to regulate our temperature, putting us at increased risk of heat-related illness. Age also affects our ability to stay hydrated during exercise and our ability to recognize when we need more water.

A key to successful workouts is keeping well hydrated before, during and after exercise. The length of your workouts, heat, humidity and the amount you sweat are all major considerations for keeping your body in proper fluid balance.
Hydration Tips

* Start hydrating early by drinking 1-2 cups of water in the morning
* Keep a water bottle with you all day long
* Drink before you get thirsty
* Drink 1-2 cups of fluid 30 minutes before exercise
* Drink ½ - 1 cup of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise
* Replenish fluids lost (2 ½ cups for every pound lost during exercise)
* Keep drinking even after your thirst is quenched

Water vs. Sport Drinks

For exercise lasting under 45 minutes, water is your best choice. For the recreational athlete who may exercise 30-40 minutes per session, water is sufficient for hydration:

* Water is easily absorbed
* Water is the best choice to drink before moderate length exercise
* Water is readily available and less expensive than sport drinks

Research suggests that for workouts consisting of at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise or high-intensity workouts of any duration – running, aerobics, biking and intense weight training – a sports drink may be beneficial in delaying muscle fatigue by providing your body with additional energy:

* Sport drinks will replenish fluids while containing a small amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes
* A steady source of carbohydrates during prolonged exercise fights off fatigue and enhances performance by fueling the muscles
* Studies show that a solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates may be absorbed more quickly and helps to retain fluids consumed after prolonged intense exercise
* The taste of a good sport drink may encourage you to keep drinking

Over-hydration

Drinking too much water can cause problems such as water intoxication and, although this is not something most of us have to worry about, it does happen among many exercisers and should be something to be aware of. As the water content of the blood increases, the salt content is diluted; consequently, the amount of salt available to body tissues decreases, which can lead to problems with brain, heart and muscle function.

Symptoms include:

* Dizziness
* Nausea
* Apathy
* Confusion

These symptoms can also be attributed to dehydration, so it is important to know your body and know how much you are drinking.

Remember that you can get your daily water requirements from sources other than pure water. Your cup of tea counts! Water is the main ingredient in all drinks – carbonated drinks, fruit juices and even coffee. All these contribute to your daily fluid intake. Fruit and vegetables also have high water content, so proper nutrition is just as important.
========================================================================

http://www.DefeatDiabetes.org

Too Much Water During Exercise Riskier Than Dehydration
posted April, 21, 2005

A new study reports that athletes who drink too much water are at risk of diluting the sodium content of their blood, causing hyponatremia and putting them at risk for seizures, coma and death.

After years of telling athletes to drink as much liquid as possible to avoid dehydration, some doctors are now saying that drinking too much during intense exercise poses a far greater health risk.

An increasing number of athletes -- marathon runners, triathletes and even hikers -- are severely diluting their blood by drinking too much water or too many sports drinks, with some falling gravely ill and even dying, the doctors say.

New research on runners in the Boston Marathon confirms the problem and shows just how serious it is. The research, involved 488 runners who participated in the 2002 marathon. The runners gave blood samples before and after the race. While most were fine, 13 percent -- or 62 of them -- drank so much that they had hyponatremia, or abnormally low blood sodium levels. Three had levels so low that they were in danger of dying.

The runners who developed the problem tended to be slower, taking more than four hours to finish the course. That gave them plenty of time to drink copious amounts of liquid. And drink they did -- an average of three liters, or about 13 cups of water or a sports drink -- so much that they actually gained weight during the race.

As more slow runners entered long races, doctors began seeing athletes stumbling into medical tents, nauseated, groggy, barely coherent and with their blood severely diluted. Some died on the spot or in the hospital.

In 2003, USA Track & Field, the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking, changed its guidelines to warn against excessive intake of liquids.

Marathon doctors say the new study offers the first documentation of the problem.

"Before this study we suspected there was a problem," said Dr. Marvin Adner, the medical director of the Boston Marathon, which is Monday. "But this proves it."

Hyponatremia is entirely preventable, Adner and others said. During intense exercise the kidneys cannot excrete excess water. But as people keep drinking, the extra water moves into their cells, including brain cells. The engorged brain cells, with no room to expand, press against the skull and can compress the brain stem, which controls vital functions like breathing. The result can be fatal.

But the marathon runners were simply following what has long been conventional advice: avoid dehydration at all costs.

Doctors and sports drink companies "made dehydration a medical illness that was to be feared," said Dr. Tim Noakes, a hyponatremia expert at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

"Everyone becomes dehydrated when they race," Noakes said. "But I have not found one death in an athlete from dehydration in a competitive race in the whole history of running. Not one. Not even a case of illness."

On the other hand, he said, he knows of people who have become sick and died from drinking too much.

Hyponatremia can be treated, Noakes said. A small volume of a highly concentrated salt solution is given intravenously and can save a patient's life by pulling water out of swollen brain cells.

However, he said, doctors and emergency workers often assume the problem is dehydration and give intravenous fluids instead, sometimes killing the patient. Noakes and others advise testing the salt concentration of a sick athlete's blood before starting treatment.

For their part, runners can estimate how much they should drink by weighing themselves before and after long training runs to see how much they lose -- and thus how much water they should replace.

Adner said athletes also should be careful when a race is over. He advised runners to wait until they start to urinate before drinking any more fluids.

The paper's lead author, Dr. Christopher S.D. Almond, a cardiology fellow at Children's Hospital, said he had first heard of hyponatremia in 2001 when a cyclist drank so much on a ride from New York to Boston that she had a seizure. She eventually recovered.

Until recent years, the condition was all but unheard of because endurance events like marathons and triathlons were populated almost entirely by fast athletes who did not have time to drink too much.

In a letter, also published today in the journal, doctors describe 14 runners in the 2003 London Marathon with hyponatremia who waited more than four hours on average before going to a hospital. Some were lucid after the race, but none remembered completing it.

======================================================================

Water: How much should you drink every day?

How much water should you drink each day? A simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.

Though no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.
Health benefits of water
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Functions of water in the body Functions of water in the body

Water is your body's principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.
How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

Several approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.

* Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.
* Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though the approach isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
* Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Even apart from the above approaches, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.
Factors that influence water needs

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

*

Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, the duration of your exercise and the type of activity you're engaged in.

During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Also, continue to replace fluids after you're finished exercising.
* Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
* Illnesses or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or CeraLyte. Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
* Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Beyond the tap: Other sources of water

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes from water and beverages of all kinds.

For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent to 100 percent water by weight. Beverages such as milk and juice also are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is one of your best bets because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.
Staying safely hydrated

It's generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time you become thirsty, it's possible to already be slightly dehydrated. Further, be aware that as you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. Excessive thirst and increased urination can be signs of a more serious medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you experience either.

To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy adult can consider the following:

* Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.
* Hydrate before, during and after exercise.
* Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings.

If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often.

Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet.

If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's best for you.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

natalie1

Thanks, I definetly don't drink enough :drinker:

pmkelly409

Wow that is alot of info to take in - I am going to save this and re-read to really grasp all of the concepts.

Thank you so much for all this research!!