A Vital Tip For Marathon Runners
January 7, 2008
Many runners drink plenty of water during a marathon to keep their bodies hydrated. James Muntz, internal medicine service chief with The Methodist Hospital in Houston, said drinking too much water during the course of a 44 km race can actually kill them.
“During a marathon, a good rule of thumb is to drink about one cup of fluid every 20 minutes,” Muntz said, adding, “Drinking any more than that over the course of the race can get you into trouble,” reported Newwise wire.
Many runners do not know that by drinking extra water they are increasing risk of developing a condition known as hyponatremia, known as “water intoxication.” It is opposite of dehydration, and often associated with running.
Moreover, it’s not an unusual problem and one can develop it in few hours. It occurs when runners have low sodium in the body. The symptoms of this condition are vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, restlessness/fatigue, abnormal mental status (hallucinations, confusion, change in personality, etc) muscle weakness and convulsions.
When sodium levels drop in the fluids outside the cells, water will get in there and attempt to balance the concentration of salt outside the cells. The abundance of water will cause the cells to swell. Most cells can adapt to change. However the brain cannot. When this occurs in less than 48 hours, it can be fatal if not treated immediately.
The scientist suggests that a few days before the race, runners can take steps to try and prevent hyponatremia by using sports drinks during training and increasing their salt intake, as long as they don’t have high blood pressure. A recent study of runners in the 2002 Boston Marathon found that 13% of those who finished the race developed hyponatremia.
The majority of these runners reported feeling “fine” after the race. However, if someone who feels “fine” continues to drink water because they believe the nausea and weakness they are feeling is due to dehydration, they could easily end up having a seizure and falling into a coma. “You don’t want to drink too much during the race, but if you do, sports drinks like Gatorade that contain salt, would be better than a lot of water,” Muntz said. “If you experience any symptoms, see a physician immediately.”
Source: IANS
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