Newswise — It is important when exercising for long durations to replace fluids lost through perspiration and respiration, but drinking too much water while neglecting important nutrients can lead toward chemical imbalance, even death, according to diet experts writing for the Institute of Food Technologists.
Too much water in combination with too little sodium is a serious health risk being reassessed by leading exercise physiologists, national sports medicine and sports training organizations and other concerned professionals, say Roger A. Clemens and Peter Pressman in a recent article in IFT's Food Technology magazine.
"Health professionals are observing that physically active people must be made aware that drinking water in extreme can cause sodium levels in the blood to fall below normal, a condition called hyponatremia," says Clemens, a diet and nutrition expert with IFT and a nutritional biochemist with the USC School of Pharmacy. Clemens says athletes can over-hydrate in response to a belief that tremendous water intake can be protective.
Symptoms of severe hyponatremia typically include lethargy, confusion, agitation, even seizures. Unfortunately, these symptoms may be mistaken for signs of dehydration at a time when more water is the very last thing the body needs.
"It's important to note that hyponatremia is a clinically important concern even among typically healthy people," stresses Pressman, a practicing physician at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. "The risk is significant among healthy endurance athletes, and even weekend athletes performing low-intensity exercise in warm weather."
"The significance of maintaining the proper balance of water and electrolytes—especially sodium—in the body's tissues cannot be understated to those involved in prolonged physical activity," says Pressman.
Pressman, Clemens and other health professionals stress that people exercising over long periods drink beverages containing electrolytes to reduce the risk of chemical imbalance, to maintain a proper fluid balance, and to ensure important body functions.
Food Technology is published monthly by IFT, providing news and analysis of the development, use, quality, safety, and regulation of food sources, products, and processes. It is accessible online at http://www.ift.org/foodtechnology.
Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters in Chicago, the Institute of Food Technologists is a not-for-profit international scientific society with 26,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in industry, academia and government. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussion of food issues. For more on IFT, see http://www.ift.org.
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