Our Strong Son stayed spent the weekend at our house for a recent triathlon. The day before the race he had carefully prepared his snacks and drink for the bicycle and the run portions of the race. He has done quite a bit of research on how much fluid and how many calories he needs to consume to keep his body functioning at maximum speed.
He told an interesting story that is a good reminder now that summer is approaching. I read a lot in articles and on the internet about how many ounces of water a person needs to drink per day. SS agrees that hydration is important, but he says that over hydration can be as dangerous, if not more so than dehydration.
Because he is a physical therapist, he got to work in the medical tent at a recent marathon. He was treating people with rolled ankles, achy knees, and shin splints.
A young woman staggered into the tent, appearing to be disoriented. The doctors got her to a table for an immediate evaluation. It turned out that her blood sugar was low and she was a little dehydrated. They got some calories and fluid into her and she quickly recovered.
The doctors told SS that the people they worry about are the ones who come in similarly disoriented because over hydration. Your kidneys can only process so much water at once – from .8 – 1 liter per hour. If you consume too much water too rapidly it can cause several symptoms that appear similar to dehydration. However over hydration can quickly lead to brain damage.
It is not uncommon at a marathon for someone who has pushed too many fluids too fast to automatically be treated for dehydration – which makes their condition much worse.
I often come in from running or doing yardwork and quickly drink a 16 ounce glass of water. That’s below the 27 ounces in .8 liters, but it still may be stressing my kidneys. I would probably be better off to sip than to chug.
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