The importance of keeping hydrated

Drinking too much whilst exercising can cause hyponatremia, Hyponatremia is a condition of low sodium levels in the blood, and can even cause seizures or death.

Because the kidneys shut down during hard exercise, cells become overfilled with water, and the brain stem can be compressed, which can disrupt vital functions.

Although the body does a fairly good job of reabsorbing salts lost through perspiration, prolonged exercise can deplete sodium that is not routinely replenished. Athletes may lose more than two grams of salt per litre of water, which means that at least a gram of salt is lost in each hour of intense exercise.

Sports drinks that include sodium and salty foods are good for athletes, and increasing sodium intake in the days prior to a physically demanding event can also reduce the risk of hyponatremia.

The symptoms of hyponatremia are similar to those of dehydration: nausea, cramping, light-headedness and confusion. Upon experiencing these symptoms, over-hydrated athletes may think they are dehydrated and drink more water, making their hyponatremia worse.

However, the importance of appropriate hydration cannot be ignored — the key is to replenish fluids and electrolytes. Even very experienced athletes can drastically misjudge the amount of fluid lost.

Even a 2 percent loss in body fluids can reduce performance by 10 percent.

Athletes may not feel thirsty until much later, especially in humid climates. The human thirst response is much less developed than in other animals such as dogs. According to Sports Guide Magazine, seven ounces of water every 15 minutes is a very reasonable amount of fluid to drink during intense exercise.

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