Are you drinking too much?

Have you ever heard of hyponatremia? 

We are often bombarded with messages of drinking more water, however some of us are actually drinking too much! Exertional hyponatremia, or low blood sodium, is caused by two distinct components, which may arise with prolonged exercise (more than 4 hours): drinking too much water and ingesting low-sodium fluids. Often the symptoms appear much like dehydration, and often people will try and ‘re-hydrate.’ This continues the cycle and the symptoms get progressively worse. The signs to watch for are progressive, worsening headache, swelling of the hands and feet, normal exercise core temperature.

How do we prevent dehydration without overhydrating? 

Find and experiment with your normal level of fluid loss with exercising. Everyone needs an individualized amount that they require for a given amount/level of exercise. As you work on building your training track and experiment with how much fluid and sodium you replace. The ideal is to match fluid intake with fluid lost. There is an equation and calculations (http://www.athleticscanterbury.org.nz/Portals/6/Coaching%20Resources/Training%20Articles/Proper%20Hydration%20for%20Distance.pdf) here if you want to get really technical!

Go have fun, and stay hydrated!

Move Well, Live Well!