Over-Hydrating-related stories
Proper hydration and hyponatremia
Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
For most of us, it's getting warmer out, and for many of you that probably means long runs, walks, bike rides, and hikes. Some of you are also probably gearing up for race season -- there are some fantastic marathons coming up, as well as halfathons, triathlons, 10Ks, etc. All of this means that you're going to need to drink lots of water.
But wait! If you've been here at That's Fit for a while, you've already read that drinking too much water during exercise can be harmful, even fatal. It's a serious issue that warrants revisiting as the summer sun starts heating up.
Over-hydration, or hyponatremia, occurs when you take in more water than your kidneys can excrete because you've been sweating out lots of salt and you're replacing it with plain water (which is why sports drinks are used during long-distance runs and major workouts). Unless you're embarking on a serious workout, like an endurance race or a long hike, you'll probably be fine, but listen to your body -- make sure you're drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, but not too much. Check out this post on FitSugar for warning signs of hyponatremia.
But wait! If you've been here at That's Fit for a while, you've already read that drinking too much water during exercise can be harmful, even fatal. It's a serious issue that warrants revisiting as the summer sun starts heating up.
Over-hydration, or hyponatremia, occurs when you take in more water than your kidneys can excrete because you've been sweating out lots of salt and you're replacing it with plain water (which is why sports drinks are used during long-distance runs and major workouts). Unless you're embarking on a serious workout, like an endurance race or a long hike, you'll probably be fine, but listen to your body -- make sure you're drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, but not too much. Check out this post on FitSugar for warning signs of hyponatremia.
Over-hydration: it CAN happen!
Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
When out getting exercise, some people will say that you can never drink enough water. Even when you're not that active and the weather is boiling, we are encouraged to stay properly hydrated. But "properly" is the key word here. Especially when you're engaged in physical activity like running or biking, keeping your body watered enough -- but not too much! -- is very important.Drinking too much can put you in a dangerous situation. Hyponatremia is the condition when sodium in your blood takes a dip in concentration. The symptoms start with nausea and headache, and can worsen if the condition becomes more serious.
To combat this condition, experts suggest using an accurate scale. By weighing yourself before and after exercise, you can see exactly how much water weight you've lost. If it's more than 2%, you didn't hydrate properly. Balancing hydration is not an exact science, but it is very important if you want to get the most out of your workouts.
